What about the Sockhead?
by Cornoa
Summary: People around Kevin have started to notice something. The jock have been more friendly toward the Ed's, especially towards the Sockhead.
1. Chapter 1

Peach Creek… Kevin sighed loud. He looked around the old Cul-De-Sac. It was kind of beautiful in all the colours of autumn, orange and red all mixed together. He kicked some leafs while he began to walk towards the dump, a shortcut to school. Everything where kind of the same in their neighbourhood, it hadn't change at all in the period Kevin had lived here. Except that people had grew up. He and his friends were now seventeen years old… people had changed, for better and worse…  
"Catch me if you can Eddy!"  
"ED GIVE IT BACK YOU BLOCKHEAD"  
Thinking about the worst part…  
Kevin turned his head and saw Eddy and Ed run towards him. Dorkenstein in all his pride laughed a very irritating laugh while he held up Eddy's, the ultimate dork of all times, schoolbag high up in the air. It was something odd in this picture… where were double D? He was the calmest of them and actually not a too bad kid. It was just sad he tagged along with these two dorks. Sockhead deserved better friends.  
"Hey watch it shovelface!"  
Kevin hadn't time to react before Ed accidently tumbled in to his back and they both fell to the ground with a loud thump. He felt Ed's stinking body pressing him down to the dirt and his jaw and back hurt like hell. Could the day get any worse? Eddy just walked pass them and picked up his backpack with a big grin.  
"Looks like you have yourself a boyfriend Kev!", Eddy laughed with tears in his eyes.  
"If you don't move in two seconds I gonna punch you!", Kevin growled with pebbles grinding his teeth.  
"Gentlemen how many times do I have to repeat that running is… oh Kevin! I sincerely apologise on the behalf of my friends!"  
And there we had Double D. Thankfully Ed moved and Kevin saw a hand reached down to him. He looked up and there the sockhead glanced at him with a worried expression. As always he wore his awfully looking yellow tie and orange cardigan. And why oh, why did he look so cute in it?  
"Whatever", Kevin mumbled and ignored Edd's hand and stood up by himself and began to brush of the dirt of his green hood.  
"Are you positive you didn't contract a concussion? Or any other injury of that sort?", Double D mumbled worriedly and he started to help Kevin straighten out his clothes.  
"Dude, I'm fine!", Kevin said, tried to not sound too harsh.  
"I'm pleased to hear that", Double D said and gave him a smile that exposed his tooth gap.  
And Kevin thought that Double D couldn't get any cuter? Thankfully the boy turned around to his friends and Kevin could feel the warmth rising to his cheeks. _Not now stupid!_ But it was just the way Edd's hand felt, they were soft. His odd quirky behaviours, overall was kind of cute. Like how he always wore his black hat, the big words he always used and how he tried to protect al lifeforms, like spiders…. _  
_"I said that running is harmful, it's all fun and games until somebody ends up with severe damages and pain", Edd said with his hands on his hips, it was awfully fun how he lectured his friends about good manners; sadly they never listen to him.  
"Yeah yeah whatever sockhead…" Eddy said and waved dismissive with his hand and began to walk again. "Sorry not sorry shovelface!"  
"DORK!", Kevin yelled at that irritating… dork who just kept on walking.  
"I'm sorry", Ed just said before he shrugged and tagged along with his shorter companion.  
But as soon as Ed where near his short gang leader the big guy took Eddy's backpack once again and they began to run, both screaming and laughing. Kevin observed Double D who just rolled his eyes in disbelief.  
"Why do I ever bother", Edd sighed and massaged his temples and tried to keep up with his friends.  
Kevin watched the three dorks run away and disappeared behind a big scrap-heap of old car parts. Even if they were out of sight you could clearly hear them screaming. With a loud sigh Kevin leaned down and reached his red cap who laid there dirty and sad in a puddle of something black and nasty. They would pay…  
"Oh Kevin boy why that long face… oh your red cap looks like my great uncels pigstye, and you smells like a farm"  
"Hi Rolf…", Kevin muttered and bit his lip. "What are you doing here?"  
"Rolf where to ask you about walking to school together, but you didn't answered the doorbell, but what have happened to you? Ed boys again, yes?"  
Kevin turned around and looked at the tall blue haired guy and the little smile he had on his lips. What was that smile about? With rolling eyes Kevin just but his cap on, despite the filth. If they didn't move they would get detention because of late arrival. So he jumped over the black puddle of something and started to walk.  
"They are just dorks", Kevin said and cracked his knuckles. "I wish they just could grow up"  
He thought about Double D again. If it wasn't because of the 3 Eds package deal, take one get two free of charge, he would try to befriend him. But he couldn't stand dork and dorkiest. They two were just too much dorkiness to handle. Maybe there was a way to start to know double D in a more serious way without the other Edds getting in the way? He hoped he could find that loophole someday.  
"You thinking about the sock Edd boy, am I right?, Rolf said with a laugh.  
"What you talking about man?" Kevin tried to look confused, and not busted.  
He glanced at Rolf with a raised eyebrow but that dude couldn't stop smiling. Was it that obvious? And why did his friend have such big grin, like he understood something that Kevin was too dumb to understand? He didn't like where this conversation headed…  
"Rolf has seen you being a lot nicer to the Ed boys these couple of weeks, and in the class you always stare at Double D and want his help with easy subjects"  
Kevin started to laugh, a mad laugh, a laugh that said "are you serious dude?". They passed the dump and when they had the yellow painted fence boards behind them the school roof reviled itself above a still green hill. Soon Kevin could relax and just forget Rolf's stupid comment. Seriously, had he really been kind to the dorks unconsciously? And above all, had he been friendly to Double D without even noticing?  
"Rolf are as serious as a son of a Shepherd can be", Rolf said confused. "Nazz girl is starting to wonder what's up with you"  
Nazz? SHIT NAZZ! They had been together a year, TOADY. She would be so pissed if she found out that he hadn't come up with something for their anniversary. Whatever, he could come up with something… he hoped… guessed. How could he forget that important thing? Luckily he and Nazz didn't have any classes together today. He was safe, until the school ended.  
"It's nothing dude, just calm down", Kevin sighed and walked up the stairs to the school. "It's nothing"


	2. Chapter 2

He had avoided Nazz al day. It had worked well, but he had seen her confused expression when he always walked around a corner as soon as they got eye contact. The bad thing was; he hadn't come up with something to surprise her with. It was the last period and Kevin gnawed at his pencil and looked down at the table. What could he possibly do? He didn't know what girls liked.  
The school bell rang and it was the end of the day. The other children rose up from their chairs and walked towards the door in relief. Of course everyone wanted to head home and have a spectacular Friday evening. Kevin didn't move, afraid of meet up with Nazz. See her disappointed look when she understood that he totally had forgot their special day.  
"I don't know Eddy that requires a lot of effort on my part, its heavy calculations you requesting and the outcome may disappoint you"  
"Come on Double D, it's not brain surgery I ask you to do"  
"I like Brains!"  
Kevin looked up from his papers and peeked out to the corridor. He maybe had solved his problems at last. Hurriedly he shoved the notebook and papers in to his backpack and ran out from the classroom. It wasn't hard to spot the dorks when Kevin scanned the corridor. Double D walked between his friends and Eddy gestured widely when he talked. Now, it was the time to sink or swim. Kevin walked fast and tried not to bump in to someone when he elbowed his way through the corridor.  
"Hey Sockhead… I mean Double D", Kevin said with a raised voice.  
The three Ed's turned around and looked at him, each of them with different expression on their faces. Eddy with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow, annoyed. Ed, with just blank eyes and a lazy smile on his face, looked completely zooned out. And the Double D, looked actually concerned while he held the straps on his rucksack with a firm grip.  
"What do YOU want with Double D?", Eddy sighed.  
"Greetings Kevin, can I assist you in some way?", Double D asked with a little timid smile.  
"Yeah, but…", Kevin looked at dorkenstein and dorkier. "But maybe we can talk about it a little more private?"  
"If you wanna borrow our brain, you have to pay", Eddy said with a big grin and putted his hands in his pockets.  
"Pardon me Eddy but that's immature", Double D said baffled. "And 'our' brain as you prefer to call it, it's actually my very own"  
"Well I need it for my scams!", Eddy sighed and glared towards Kevin. "Time is money and…"  
"Forget that I said anything, you are such… such… DORKS!", Kevin screamed and flung out with his hands, and nearly hit Jonny ,who passed them, in the head.  
Without a single word Kevin just pushed Eddy out of his way and walked to his locker. Everything was better than trying to have a conversation with that dork. Nazz would be angry at him but whatever; they could always kiss and make up. She would forgive him, sooner or later. Muttering he opened his locker and shoveld everything in to his backpack before he closed it again with a loud bang! But when he had closed the locker he almost jumped out of his pants. There behind him stood Double D, they nearly touched noses. Shyly Edd took a step backward and looked down at his blue shoes.  
"Apologies for my friend Eddy", he mumbled. "I'm eager to hear what's troubling you"  
"It's cool, I mean about Eddy, no need to feel sorry", Kevin sighed and scratched the back of his head. "And I was wondering, maybe you could help me with a thing… it's about Nazz"  
"What about your girlfriend?" Edd tilted his head a little with big eyes. "I have to say I'm not so keen in the matters of female interactions"  
"It's okay just tell me, if you had a girlfriend and you wanted her to surprise you on your anniversary, what would you want her to do?", Kevin mumbled and bit his lip, this was so stupid!  
"Well… the observatory would be an impressive and exquisite surprise", Double D said and flickered with his eyes, a little bit anxious.  
"It was stupid of me, I forgot how much of a nerd you are", Kevin sighed and ran his hand over his freckled face. "Okay what do you think NAZZ would like?"  
"In fact, I think I have an idea" Sockhead smiled and laid an arm over Kevins shoulders and whispered his plan  
So Double D came up with this great idea. He had crocheted a little fluffy cat in needlework class. It was white with blue eyes and Edd tied a nice ice blue bow around its neck. In the meantime Kevin tried to draw a card. Embarrassed he had to let Edd do that to because his own cards looked like a five year old kid had done it. The dork's handwriting was neat and elegant and his little doodles around the message was the icing on the cake. Nazz would love this little gift and after that, they would go to the ice cream bar and after that, they had Kevin's whole house by themselves. It was a smooth gesture to take Nazz home, maybe it went so well that he could brag about it after… around the boys of course.  
"Double D, you are kind of a savior", Kevin said and boxed Edd friendly on the shoulder. "You can get a jawbreaker anytime, dude"  
"A pleasure to help a friend in great need", Double D said and massaged his shoulder where Kevin had hit him. "And no need to donate one of your sugary spheres of delight, I'm in matter if fact not so fond of them any longer"  
"Okay, okay I had taken a no thanks", Kevin said and shook his head.  
"Oh, apologies Kevin, a custom habit of mine is to use my vocabulary to its full extent", Double D smiled shyly again.  
Kevin rolled his eyes; it had been actually pretty fun to hang out with Sockhead without his friends around. A feeling was that Double D thought that too, even if they just had fixed this in a couple of minutes.  
"Oh KEVIN there you are!"  
Kevin turned around and there came Nazz walking towards them in the corridor. Hotter than ever and giggling like a bird. Kevin felt his legs goes numb like jelly and he could melt to a puddle right there and then. He was lucky to have that hot blondie as a girlfriend. They embraced each other and exchanged kisses. After their greeting Kevin glanced back and Double D where gone, quicks as a shadow. Okey then… that's was for the better… he guessed.  
"Happy anniversary babe", Kevin smiled and handed Nazz a little paper bag with the fluffy cat in it.  
"Oh, Kev that's so sweet!", she laughed and patted the little plush before she gave Kevin another hug and kissed him on the cheek. "Ohh a card too?"  
"Yeah everything for you, hey I thought we could like, go to the ice cream bar, and after that we could… why are you laughing?"  
"Thanks Double D later will you?" she continued to giggle and passed the card to Kevin who looked confused.  
As soon as he read the card, the understood very well why she laughed at it.

My Dear Nazz!  
My feelings for you extend to the galaxy and beyond the infinity. I sincerely love you and can't visualize a world without you.  
From yours truly  
Kevin

No shit, that didn't sound like him at al. It would be something like "Babe I like you /Kev". Embarrassed Kevin crumbled up the card and just laughed it off together with Nazz. He hoped she didn't was offended.  
"Hey babe…" Kevin began but Nazz just put a finger over his slips.

"It's okay; actually I think it's cute that you allowed Double D to help you out" Nazz kissed him, on the lips this time. "Ice cream sounds delicious"  
"My parents are away…", Kevin said with a big grin on his lips. "If you wanna spend the evening with me"  
"Oh, even better, come on", Nazz chuckled and took Kevins hand and together then walked out from the school.


	3. Chapter 3

A couple of week passed and Kevin couldn't stop thinking about what Rolf had said. He constantly got reminded of that as well. The Eds continued with their scams and nearly every single day they did something to get on his nerves. If it wasn't Eddy, and his pathetic tries to cheat them on money. It was Ed and his stories about aliens or zombie inventions, or an episode from some stupid cartoon. And then there was Double D who tried to help Eddy earn money, and listen to Ed's stories with patience made of steel. And even if they did something to Kevin, like, roll over his toes with a wheelbarrow or scratched the lack on his moped. He caught himself to not hit them. He gave them threats about punching and injuring and he grunted dorks at them. Even they have begun to think Kevins behavior as odd. Their expressions of confusion when they squinted and was ready for a blow and it never happened. He wasn't nice to them per se, just not as mean as he used to be.  
And there it was Double D… Why couldn't Kevin get him out of his mind? They had started to talk during class, most related to the subjects they studied. He even had made Double D laugh one time, a real genuine laugh. That made Kevin melt inside in a way Nazz never had made him do. He would love to hear that laugh again, until he had seen all the looks of their classmate's faces, especially Eddy and Ed's.  
 _I have to stop,I just have to! This will not do anybody any good!_ Kevin thought to himself one evening when he laid in bed. He stared at the ceiling while throwing and catching a pigskin over and over again. The rhythmical sound made him feel easier made him think straighter. He listened to the sound and kept on doing so until it the pigskin hit the ceiling with a loud noise. The windows vibrated and the celling lamp rotated in a clockwise circle. Everything seemed to look like a carousel with all the shadows minimizing and expanding because of the lamp, this was exactly how Kevins stomach felt right now.  
"Kev I warn you, don't make a mark in the ceiling again, that will cut your college fond!"  
Kevin just turned up the volume on the radio and ignored his mum's threat, but he put the pigskin on his bedside table after two more throws. No, he needed to talk to Edd tomorrow, just to tell him that their ghost of friendship had to end. Everything had to go back to normal. With that thought in mind Kevin took of his t-shirt and tucked himself to bed and tried to sleep.  
Of course, the next day Dweeb didn't showed up .Which was very odd because Double D never missed school because of his "excellent attendant record". They had their first period together and he never turned up. Kevin glanced at the door over and over again, just waited for Edd's appearance: quietly sneaking in. But that never happened. Kevin kind of missed that dork who always sat in front of him. He always looked so eager and scribbled down notes faster than a squirrel.  
"Kevin, can you take Eddwards homework, he is your neighbor after all?"  
Kevin was just about to walk out from the classroom when that question hit him. Why oh why did their math teacher ask him? He turned around and glared at her. She sat at her desk and waved a piece of paper in her hand. With a big sigh Kevin shoved his hands in his pockets and rolled his eyes.  
"Why don't you ask Ed or Eddy?", he mumbled and nodded at the dorks.  
They argued about the best weapon during a zombie apocalypse while gathering their school supplies. Ed waved al his papers around and Eddy crumbled up them into balls so he could hit his friend with them. Kevin just raised an eyebrow… he didn't even wanna comment on their stupid behavior.  
"Do I really need to explain this to you?", she sighed and rose up from the chair and reached out to Kevin. "Please?"  
"Whatever", Kevin mumbled and grabbed their homework and went out to the corridor.  
Next period passed; no sockhead.  
Third period, no sockhead! This wasn't normal…  
"Hey Kevin, what's up, I'm talking to you?"  
Kevin glanced over the lunch table and raised an eyebrow at Sarah. She, Jimmy and Rolf just gave him puzzled looks, like always nowadays. Could he just stop make everything so obvious?! Kevin grabbed his fork and started to eat the tasteless cafeteria food.  
"What, I thought about last weekend, oh boy me and Nazz, we were awesome…", Kevin started to blabber.  
"Please Kevin! I don't want to hear about that!", Jimmy cried and pressed his finger over his ear. "Sarah!"  
"Kev, shut up…", Sarah yelled and gave Kevin a dark glare. "I asked you about next weekend, birthday party?"  
"Birthday party?", Kevin asked, tried to not look as confused as he felt.  
"Yeah, Jimmy's", Sarah sighed and gestured at the blonde boy beside her.  
"I'm going to bake cookies in shapes of stars and…"  
Kevin rolled his eyes and shut them out again. Then in his periferal vision he saw Eddy and Ed walking towards an empty table. Their trays were stuffed with that nasty junk food. Ed's food was drenched in gravy, it made Kevin feel sick. But this was his chance to ask them about Double D, he had to know where he was. He rose up without hesitation, he would do it, he would… talk to the dorks.  
"And everybody… HEY Kevin!"  
"Kevin boy?"  
Kevin ignored them and walked with closed fists up to Eddy and Ed. His whole body rejected his intentions but what could he do? With an will of iron he pushed his muscles to work and soon he stood beside their table. At first he just waited and stared at them while Eddy discussed a new scam he had come up with. Ed slurped that gravy like it was his last meal alive. What could Kevin ask that wouldn't cause any suspicions?  
"What do you want shovel chin?", Eddy said after a while when Kevin obviously didn't move.  
"Have you seen Sockhead today?", Kevin said with a big sigh and he tried to look like he actually didn't care.  
"Why do you wanna know?", Eddy said with a raised eyebrow.  
"I'm forced to work with him in our history class", Kevin snarled and rolled his eyes.  
"Well…. Haven't seen him, and even if I did know what his up too, I wouldn't tell you!", Eddy laughed, a not friendly laugh, rather it said, _you are stupid.  
_ "But Eddy, we saw him this morning, he is home, sick", Ed said with a big grin on his face, both Kevin and Eddy stared at him. "I like Gravy!"  
"Well, thanks dorkenstein", Kevin said with a big grin and then glare back at Eddy. "Laugh that laugh again and I will punch you so you shrink ten inches, and you don't have them to spare! Shrimp!"  
He turned around and began to walk back to his friends. Well… he had talked to them, sort of. But Double D, sick? He was never sick, hadn't been for years. Dweeb was really aware of germs hand how to stay away from them. He disinfected his own pencils if he lent them out for crying out loud. Without a word he sat down again and took a sip of his OJ. It was deathly quiet around the table and al six eyes rested on him. The silence made Kevin uneasy and nervous. He felt his heart bump against his ribs; could a beating heart break ribs?  
"What?!", he said and slammed his OJ hard on the table.  
"You remember when Rolf told you he was worried and you told him not to worry?", Rolf said and nervously scratched his neck. "Rolf as become really worried"  
"For real guys? It's nothing I just have to dump some stupid homework in sockheads letter-box because his friends are too dumb to do it", Kevin sighed and massaged his tear ducts. "Chill out, please!"  
"Kevin, if something is wrong, then tell us because you acting really strange", Sarah said and observed Kevin head to toe. "Come on you talked to my stupid brother and Eddy, freely? Something is up between you and Sockhead, right?"  
Kevin choked at his food, started to cough so intensive that Rolf had to punch him in the back several times. "Now you are the stupid of the siblings!", Kevin croaked with tears running down his cheeks.  
"Come on people, don't fight right before my birthday!", Jimmy snivelled and he got teary eyed.  
"Well, ask Sarah to take a chill pill, I'm done here", Kevin grabbed his tray and rose up from the chair.  
"But… but… my Birthday", Jimmy cried. "You don't even care, do you Kev?"  
"EVERYONE ARE DORKS AROUND HERE, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE WILL YA?"  
Before people could stare at him he walked out from the cafeteria as fast as he could. Why had he done that? Jimmy, Sarah and Rolf didn't deserve his anger that was directed towards himself. Everything was so confusing and he hated that everything was so damn obvious. He just tried to befriend that dork, was it something wrong whit that? No? Yes?  
Kevin walked to his locker and grabbed his backpack and was ready to leave. He couldn't stand school a minute longer. Besides, it was someone he wanted to see, Double D. HE was one part worried and one part angry at that dork, worried because he had called in sick and angry because that he made him feel so worried about it. No he had to see if Edd was alright and then tell him what needed to be said. This couldn't prolong.

3


	4. Chapter 4

And now, he stood here …  
Kevin licked his lips and just observed Double D's house. It looked like it always had. A neat and organised yard with trees and bushes cut in precision, the path of pebbles tidily raked. It wasn't eye catching or revolutionary, just a well-kept house in a suburban area. He had walked pass this house so many times and ignored it, but now…  
He held Double Dorks homework so tight that his knuckles turned withe. _Come on man, just do it!_ He was the captain of the football team, everyone looked up to him. Why was taking one step on this yard so hard to do? He glanced at the letter-box. That would be an easy way out. But that was like chicken out, he never chickened out. No, sink or swim!  
Kevin nearly ran towards the door, just in case his body wanted to stop halfway. Before he began to think about retrieving he rang the bell. He bit his lip and looked down at his shoes. What took so long? After a couple of minutes the door handle jerked and the door opened a tiny bit. In the gap Kevin could see Edd looking back at him. The boy seemed a bit anxious to Kevin. The Sockhead sucked in his lip and dark shadows were visible under the big blue eyes.  
"Greetings Kevin, I have to be frank and just ask: what do you want?" Double D said with a flickering gaze, he was so unfocused.  
"Give you this", Kevin said and offered Edd the homework.  
"Oh that was generous of you", Double D said with a shy smile, but it didn't reach his eyes and he didn't open the door wider to reach it.  
"I heard you were sick, is everything alright?" Kevin asked and raised an eyebrow; it surely didn't look like it.  
"I'm… I'm fine just… My apologies but this is not a good day to have this conversation Kevin.. Our house is filthy and…", Edd stuttered and looked back inside the house; Kevin tried to peek behind the nervous boy but couldn't see anything extraordinarily. "Can you be so kind and place the homework in our letter-box, I have to go…"  
"Are you alright?", Kevin raised an eyebrow, seriously worried about this kid.  
"A minor cold… Kevin, I need to keep myself inside", Edd blabbered, like he had the thoughts somewhere else.  
"Well, I really need to talk to you… and before you ask, no it can't wait", Kevin really tried to keep his temper but the longer he stood there, the harder it was.  
"Pardon me but I have to stand my ground and say no, good bye Kevin",  
Panic rose when he saw how Double D began to close the door. No, the dork couldn't shut the door in front of him! Without even thinking he placed his hand between the gap and then… the pain. He screamed at the top of his lungs and the door flung open again. OUCH OUCH! Teary eyed Kevin pressed the bruised hand against his stomach, tried to bear the pain.  
"Oh dear! I'm so sorry!" Edd squealed, and then he looked down at Kevin's hand and gasped. "Kevin, you're bleeding!"  
Chocked Kevin saw that small streaks of blood ran down his middle finger. Had Double D really closed the door that fast, and that hard? The other fingers had swollen a little and Kevin felt how tears wetted his cheeks. He blinked and tried to rub them away with the back of his hand. This was pathetic...  
"Whatever", Kevin mumbled and wiped the blood off on his hood. "No big deal"  
"That hand need medical attention…l- let me help you", Edd stuttered and stepped aside.  
Kevin's eyes widened, was Double D serious? Obviously, he patiently waited at the door. Kevin couldn't grasp anything at the moment. If that was because of his throbbing hand or Double D's guilty eyes… those blue innocent eyes…  
Kevin automatically walked in while Edd shut the door behind them. The house smelled, well, clean, and Kevin's nose started to itch because of the strong cleaning agents. Everything he looked at was spotless and shiny. From the floor, to the picture frames… even the doorknobs sparkled. Man this family where hygienic… what did Edd mean when he talked about filthy?  
"Please Kevin remove your shoes and pop this on", Edd waved a pair of withe fluffy bunny slippers in front of Kevins nose.  
"No way dude", Kevin snarled in disgust.  
"Please be cooperative", Double D pleaded and left the bunny slippers in front of Kevins feet. "I'll gather some medical supplies; don't do any exaggerated movements, blood can stain the floor."  
Edd walked up the stair and leaved Kevin by himself in the hall. In the meantime Kevin kicked the slippers away but did as Double D asked and took of his shoes and placed them by the door. At first a nervous tingling went down his spine, he had never been into Edd's house, how would he behave? He heard Double D moving stuff and paced around on the upper floor. Should he follow? No… that would be stupid. Edd surely didn't want his help for something. So Kevin began to snoop around instead. With as quite movements as possible he sneaked in to the kitchen, that room made Kevin's eye winded.  
Tons of cleaning agents where neatly lined up in color coordination on the kitchen table, Two buckets stood on the floor with boiling hot water together with a pair neatly folded yellow rubber gloves on a kitchen chair. A blue labeler laid on the countertop and someone had gone crazy with it. Kevin could spot withe tags on every cupboard, every chair, even the plants had a label with their own personal name. He knew that sockhead had labeled pencils and notebooks and stuff. Was this his doing? Kevin looked around kind of amazed but in the same time troubled. Had Double D… OCD? Had he been home, to clean the whole house?  
"Kevin where are… oh"  
 _Busted!  
_ Double D stood at the kitchen entrance with a plate of bandages and a bottle of disinfectant; he had even _folded_ the disposable gloves next to the bandages. Embarrassed Kevin looked down at his mismatched socks and bit his lip. He had recognized Double D's troubled expression; Kevin had stumbled into something very personal. How could Kevin slip out of this one smoothly?  
"Boring to be home?", Kevin asked and looked furtively on Edd, waited for his comment.  
"Positive", Double D mumbled. "Sit down please"  
Kevin sat down at one of the chairs by the kitchen table. Edd placed the tray next to all the clean agents. They didn't look on each other while Edd put on the gloves on and drenched a cotton pad in sterilizer. An awkward silence filled the air and created a tension so strong that you could touch it. Embarrassed Kevin gnaw on the inside of his chin. What could he said to ease this tension?  
"I apologie over my messy house", Double D said and gently took Kevins injured hand.  
Kevins heart stopped and he forgot to breath. Al he could think about was their hands, together… and Edd's tender touch. Kevin just stared and right there and then he forgot everything about the pain, it didn't hurt at all. Before Edd placed the drenched cotton pad on the wound and it stung like hell. Kevin wined but held still.  
"I should have warned you about the discomfort, sorry", Edd said that with a sympathetic tone.  
"You really like to apologies, do you? It wasn't a question don't answer it" Kev said and looked up at the ceiling instead of the timid boy in front of him. "And no need to apologies, your house isn't messy, so shut up"  
"Ed and Eddy proclaimed that I'm not as organized as I used to be", Edd sighed and started to bandage Kevin's hand, _he was so gentle hand his hands so soft!_ "And I discovered they were right and…"  
"So you just had to clean the hole freaking HOUSE?", Kevin rolled his eyes.  
"And I counted my ants three times but that's not the point, Kevin listen", Edd sighed and held Kevin's hand a little longer than normal before he placed it gently in Kevin's lap. "The contributor factor, is you… our friendship is counterproductive for both part, don't you see?"  
Kevin just stared at the Sockhead. No, the dork wasn't supposed to tell him this. He wasn't the one who had the right to do this. If it was someone who should say that, it was Kevin! It wasn't Edd who have had a hard time to focus on the football games, and it wasn't his friends who constantly asked why he was so tense. It wasn't his girlfriend who asked what was going on and that he looked "zooned out" every time they were together. It wasn't Double Dork who had problems about maybe… just maybe… being _gay_. There Kevin had thought it for the first time.  
"I don't know but that's my conclusion", Edd said and bit his lip. "I have never neglect school because of…of"  
"Your OCD?"  
"Thanks Kevin, for being blunt", Edd sounded a bit nervous and irritated in the same time, which was an odd combo.  
And that comment, this whole conversation, made Kevin mad again. That wasn't fair… Kevin hadn't known anything about Double D's illness. He got mad at himself and Edd at the same time again. How could he accuse him for something like that? And what had Kevin done for making it worse?  
"And thank you for blaming me for making it worse!", snarled Kevin and rose up from the chair and was ready to walk out from the kitchen, the house, everything. "I'm done here!"  
"No, you jumped to wrong conclusions… Kevin wait, this sudden outburst of emotion are truly unnecessary!"  
He heard the desperation and sadness in Sockheads voice. That really made Kevin's heart twist inside him, tried to coke him. No he was so done here. He hadn't told Edd what he wanted to say… because the dork snatched that just in front of his nose. Kevin shoved his hands in the jeans pockets and were ready to leave. But just when he put his hand on the door handle something tugged at the hood. With a furious inhale he glowered down at the dork who held a fist of green hood in his neat gloved hand. Why was everything with Double D so neat, harmless and so charming. _OH PLEASE JUSTS TOP STUPID HEAD! You like Nazz, Nazz, NAZZ  
_ "Kevin let me just…"  
"No, I just came here to say that… stay away from me, okay?", Kevin yelled and shook of Double D's hand.  
"Kevin, I really don't understand you intensions… it's puzzling…", Edd stammered and his eyes where shiny with initiated tears.  
"You confuse me! Just stop… it was a bad idea to come over… I'm sorry… I mean… DORK!"  
Kevin flung the door open and headed out without looking back. The cold autumn air bit him and his red cap wanted to dance in the wind. Kevin pressed it down harder on his head and kept on moving toward his own house. He kicked the small pebbles in front of him and they landed invisible somewhere in the brown dried grass. This hadn't helped at all, everything just got worse. He couldn't get Sockheads expression of confusion and sadness out of his mind. Kevin had made him sad; he hadn't done that in months. And for the first time, he felt bad about it. And why had he said that stupid things? But maybe it was for the better, for both of them. _What did I just do?_


	5. Chapter 5

Filthy, messy… filthy messy. Eddward tried to scrub al the germs and anxiety away while cleaning his desk for the fourth time today. After Kevins visit his breakdown worsen. If only Kevin had held back his misdirected anger a couple more minutes. Then he had known...  
Anxiety provoked every germ and filth detector cell in Edds body. When things like interacting with other humans and… love… came across Edd's anxious self it always came back to order, organization and hygiene. Edd could relax when everything where at its rightful place and everything was sanitary. An unwillingly occupation directed to Kevins being had made Edd unfocused, slobbish in matter of fact. Eddy had been so kind to tell him that this morning and marked several incidents from the beginning of this month. Small things like, forgot which classroom they should be heading to, misplaced his well-organized belongings, and a frequently daydreaming and thinking of everything else then his friends conversations or assignment in class. The tip of the iceberg was this morning; he had put on mismatched socks. They had ben white but obviously not a pair in the matter of texture and rim. Eddy had commented: Oh my god! Watch out soon you'll smell like Ed's armpits. It had been a comedic try to ease al Edd's worries but it was some truth behind the joke… and everything because of that ginger jock.  
"Stupid spot, why don't you fade?", Eddward wined and directed al his strength to a tiny black smudge on one of the desk tables.  
Kevin… he had confused Eddward during a long period of time. His kindness toward him while they were alone was the opposite of his gestures when he was with Ed and Eddy. And their argument in the hall just some hours ago was just puzzling… if he only knew.  
Eddward had known for some years now about his sexual preferences, he was gay and it wasn't something shameful or queer. What made him scared was just that idiotic fact that Kevin had woken these feelings.. Everything from his physical attraction; he had gain muscle mass in very good places. And the way Kevin always seemed bored over some school project but in the end he had a smile on his lips and enjoyed it. And Edd liked Kevin when they were alone; he was kind but hid it deep down. And Eddward couldn't submit to these feeling towards him. The Cul-de-sac teens wouldn't understand. And why did Kevin play with his fragile state of mind? Sometimes he was kind, a joyful company, and like a switch he returned to his jock attitude. Eddward couldn't understand nor his own feelings or Kevins intentions and that created so much anxiety. But Edd wanted to tell Kevin about it, his confusions but that it didn't matter because he was willing to try to be his friend. But Kevin had walked away without a word. Edd wished he had been smoother.  
The entrance door opened which made Eddward jolt and look at the clock. Oh, no…  
"Not again…"  
He could hear the concern in his mother's voice while she paced around the house and saw what kind of cleaning monster her son was. Slamming cupboards witnessed about that she began to return every cleaning agent at its rightful place around the kitchen. Eddward refocused on the smudge. What had he done to this poor table? It didn't deserve a filthy mark. And what exactly was it? Ink, oil? He ignored the footsteps walking up the stairs. He had to clean everything in his whole room and restructure… order, organization, and hygiene. The door to his room opened with a wine and he felt a hand on his shoulder. He glanced at his mother; she had a little wrinkle between her eyebrows, that little wrinkle of worry always made Edd feel remorseful.  
"Eddward, please…"  
"It's messy, everything is… I can't… this smudge…", Edd mumbled , threw the dishcloth on the floor and curled up like a ball while tears ran down his cheeks, he was so pathetic sometimes.  
"Dear Eddward, that's the woodgrain, it's a mark from a twig", His mom sighed and squeezed his shoulder. " I'll give you some hot chocolate if you come downstairs"  
She went to the kitchen again and leaved his son alone. Edd just sat curled up on the floor, al elbows and knees. _Inhale, exhale, breath through your worries…_ He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. This was irrational, silly, he understood that. With shivering hands he tried to rise up from the floor when the smell of hot milk and cocoa traveled got to him. He would try to talk to Kevin tomorrow, explain a bit more… better. He glared at the spot on the desk before he exited the room, positive that it wasn't the woodgrain. That was a spot as stubborn as the thoughts about Kevin. And no matter how much he tried to exterminate the spot, it would always be there and haunt him like a ghost.

The rain hammered down next day over Peach Creek. Edd felt better and decided to attend school. And maybe he had time to have the important conversation with Kevin? He really hoped so. He put up his red umbrella and began his walk towards the school. The sky was gray and cloudy and the small raindrops felt like hard ice crystals on the skin. Ed and Eddy waited patiently in the middle of the Cul-de-sac. Oh Dear he hoped he didn't delay them because of the late arrival.  
"Greetings Gentlemen are we exited over a new day full of knowledge?", Edd said with a warm smile.  
"Whatever, we gonna be late, come on!", Eddy said and rolled his eyes.  
"You feeling better Double D?", Ed asked and Edd couldn't stop smile when he saw how concerned his goofy friend where.  
"Much better, thank you Ed", Edd said and laid a hand on Eds shoulder. "I'm really glad you asked"  
They decided to take the shortcut through the junkyard. His friends treated him like nothing had happen. Edd thought they knew that it hadn't been just a cold that occupied him yesterday. But he was glad that they kept to their normal behavior. Eddy introduced them to _the great scam_.  
"Think about it, basketballs, a little paint and some icing sugar, we gonna be rich!" Eddy laughed and you could the dollar signs in his eyes.  
"Eddy, I have to be straightforward with you, that's a stupid idea", Edd breathed. "Do you actually believe that…"  
Edd halted, he couldn't ignore the fact that someone stood there in the rain in front of them. It was Kevin who leaned against an old rusty car. He looked slightly bored with crossed arms and head tilted slightly upwards towards the cloudy sky. Wasn't he bothered about the rain? He didn't have a raincoat on. He looked cold, and soaked. Oh Dear didn't he even care about getting cold? He could catch the flue.  
"Greeting Kevin", Edd said quietly and walked up to the jock and offered shelter under the umbrella.  
Kevin just glanced at him with tense jaws. "Hi… better today huh?"  
Edd just sucked in his lip; he didn't want to comment on that. "Why this boredom?"  
"Why you bother?", Kevin kicked a stone and rolled his eyes. "Waiting for Nazz"  
"Kevin… I…"  
"Hey Sockhead come on, say goodbye to your boyfriend!". Eddy yelled and flung up his hands. "We gonna be late!"  
"DORK!", Kevin grunted and glowered at Eddy. "Say that again and I…"  
"Gentlemen please, no need to fight!", Edd cried out, his emotional state couldn't take this. "Here…"  
He passed the red umbrella to Kevin who gracelessly took it and observed Edd with a raised eyebrow. The heat rose to Edd's cheeks and before Kevin could catch him blushing he turned around. For a second he thought about say something about yesterday but decided this was not the time. It had to the someplace more private. So their conversations couldn't be overheard. So he left Kevin there in the rain at the junkyard with a red umbrella. Edd assumed he never would get it back but that didn't concern him. He just hoped Kevin would have time to listen to what he had to say after school.


	6. Chapter 6

After that incident with the umbrella, Kevin made sure they didn't bump in to each other for the rest of the day. It felt harsh towards Double D but he needed some space. He felt so embarrassed after what happened yesterday, he didn't know how to handle it properly. But his heart stung a little when the dork tried to talk to him, after every class, during lunch… at the lockers. Kevin made sure to have his friends around, or Nazz. He could either place an arm around Nazz shoulders or make a funny joke so everyone paid attention to him. Edd looked kind of desperate when the school bell rang for the last time during the day and Kevin more or less ran out from the class room. He needed to think, he needed time to make a move from here.  
The whole week passed and it got colder with every day. When Saturday arrived practically all leafs had left their bellowed trunks and leaved them to stand there like grey skeletons, a shadow or a memory of summer. During that time Kevin had made up his mind. He was gay… he liked Nazz but she couldn't compete against that darn quirky dork. He would talk to Edd, today. Spill out everything, it was all or nothing. He figured if he just said it, the whole thing would be easier to leave behind and forget. He thought about it like a bandaid, rip it off fast and the pain would fade quicker. Also, Edd was the first person he wanted to know. First an apology and then finish what he (they?) Started.  
He found the dorks on Eddys lawn that crispy cold afternoon. The whole front yard was covered in filthy rubbish from the junkyard. They had built something big and hideous looking. Kevin parked his light motorcycle and just watched the big construction. It was like they tried to construct a transformers or something. But Kevin could be wrong because right now it could turn out like anything. But it was probably another scam that no one would buy. He took of his solid helmet and glanced at Double D who wore his utterly absolutely adorable but ugly orange duvet jacket, thankfully it had grown on him and he didn't look like a beehive anymore. They got eye contact and Kevins heart skipped a beat.  
"Hey Sockhead, give me that lampshade will ya? Hello Einstein…? Ohh… shovel chin, what do _you_ want?"  
Kevin scowled at Eddy who stood on the top of, well whatever it was they tried to build. As always they had a staring contest of doom. Just to see who would lower their gaze first. Why did the shrimp even bother?  
"Nothing that concerns the queen of dumps!", Kevin shouted with a smiled, proud over his wittiness.  
"Queen of dumps!", Ed laughed and pointed at Eddy. "I'll do whatever you desire my majesty!"  
"Double D, can I talk to you?", Kevin continued with a more serious voice.  
The Sockhead jolted there he stood with garbage up to his knees. It was funny how this didn't concern him at all while a misplaced pencil did. Edds gaze wandered from Kevin to his friends, and then over to Kevin again. Seriously could he make up his mind? Kevin could drop dead in any second because of nervousness. Edd passed a yellow lampshade to Eddy before he guided himself through the maze of car parts and boxes towards Kevin.  
"Now you want to have a conversation with me?", Edd said and crossed his arms, he tried to stay put but Kevin could see through that thin wall of determination . "After ignoring me the whole week?"  
"What can I say? I'm sorry", Kevin said, it wasn't hard to look ashamed and embarrassed. "Jump on, were going for a ride, I have something that'll cheer you up"  
Kevin throw a blue bullet helmet towards Edd who actually caught it. He looked as surprised as Kevin felt, that was a feat. A couple of minutes, seconds? Crept by and Kevins heart would burst through his chest if Edd didn't make a move soon. He casually fastened his own black helmet while he waited.  
"Come on, give me a chance to make up for my mistakes?", Kevin mumbled while turned on the motorcycle and let the engine roar.  
"I would be far more comfortable with your moped Kevin", Edd said while fasten the helmet.  
"Well, I have fixed this up and wanted to try it", Kevin laughed and felt the motorcycle wobble during Edds boarding. "It'll be fun!"  
With a grin he felt how Edd hugged him tight around the waist and his whole body was pressed against his back. _Cute, as always._ Kevin could here Eddy yell something but the engine overpowered his voice. Instead, Kevin gave more gas and he and Edd drove away from the Cul-de-sac. And you could see in the rear view mirror how the crap pile decreased for every second.

Kevin had figured out everything. His first thought had been the observatory, but that cost money, money Kevin didn't have. So he drove them to an outpost near the observatory. It was on a top of a hill and you could see the observatory farther up the mountains behind some trees. It wasn't much at all, just a platform made of wood and a bench stood there to. But they had placed a telescope there, right next to the tourist binoculars. And the view was AWESOME. You could see Peach Creek as a tiny little toy town surrounded by hills and the thick forest. It was not the observatory, but better than nothing.  
The sun had set and the first couple of stars peeked through the dark violet sky. Kevin parked his motorcycle near a tree and shut of the engine. Double D's grip had been firm and very tight the whole trip up here, he didn't even ease it now when they had stopped.  
"Hey, Dweeb, I can't breathe", Kevin laughed and Edd immediately removed his grip, like Kevin where electric or something. "I assume you like motorcycle rides Double D?"  
"Ha-ha", Edd laughed a not funny laugh and dismounted. "It was… thrilling"  
He pressed the blue helmet against Kevins chest and looked around. It was so quite up here, you could hear the wind playing with the branches and brittle grass. An owl howled, a remorseful sound that echoed around the valley. Kevin placed their helmets on the saddle and snapped of the saddlemen and walked towards Edd. The scrawny boy leaned against the platform railing and looked at the amazing view. Their little suburban resembled a termite mound; or a swarm of fireflies in this evening light. His blue eyes were full of amazement hand the thin lips slightly parted so you could see his tooth gap. Kevin smiled and placed the saddlemen on the bench and began to unpack. He had made some hot chocolate and sandwiches; he hoped it tasted good because he hadn't had the time to test anything.  
"This place is beautiful", Edd gasped and looked back at Kevin.  
"Yeah, I like this place", Kevin said and joined Edd at the railing and gave him a paper cup with hot chocolate. "Give you time to think…"  
"I guess…", Edd said and sipped the hot liquid, Kevin could see him wrinkle hi nose, was it that bad?. "I have to wonder why you wanted me to see this spectacular place though"  
"Because I want to talk to you, without any of our friends hanging around ", Kevin sighed and moved a lither further towards Edd, their shoulders nearly touched.  
Their eyes met yet again and Kevin's heart skipped a beat. He saw how Edd tried to widen the gap but Kevin trapped him between his arms. The shy boy pressed his back against the railing and looked down at the frosty wood platform. It was now or never…  
"I have a perfect and hot girlfriend, I'm the one of the most popular kids at school, I'm almost a straight A student, captain of the football team… I thought I had everything I wanted until… I understood something was wrong…", He gently grabbed Double D's chin and forced him to meet his eyes.  
Then the one and only thing that wasn't supposed to go wrong went wrong. Edd wailed when he accidently tilted his cup and burned himself on the hot chocolate. This led to that he slipped on the icy wood. Kevin tried to grab him but everything ended up with them together on the platform, Kevins body pressed on top on Edds. Just four layers between them… and their noses barely touching. They just looked at each other for a while… their beating hearts synchronized with one another. _What am I doing?!_  
"Are you alright?", asked Kevin and rose up and gave Edd an helping hand, tried to ignore the rising heat on his cheeks.  
"Perfectly fine", Edd brushed of the white frost on his jacked and Kevin could see Edd's face turning red. "I'm sorry, that was really clumsy on my behalf"  
"No worries", Kevin sighed and blew a red hair strand out of his way.  
"What did you want to say before I rudely interrupted you?", Edd looked up at him again, and tilted his head.  
The moment was gone and Kevin couldn't find the nerve to start all over again. He rolled his eyes and moved towards the bench. Why was it so hard to confess something that Edd probably already had figured out? Everyone seemed to have figured it out!  
"It's noting dude, forget it", Kevin mumbled and grabbed a sandwich.  
"Please, don't", Edd sighed and Kevin nearly jumped when Edd put a hand on his shoulder. "Something really troubling you, I'm keen to know what it is"  
"Seriously? I just wanted to take you here and tell you I'm sorry for what I did, at your house, that wasn't nice" Kevin rolled his eyes and shook Edd's hand of.  
"It's something more, that's not a conversation you are afraid to be eavesdropped by friends", Edd continued and went over by the railing again, still observing Kevin head to toe. "You know one of my personal secrets; you can trust me with yours"  
"I'm gay okay?! Or bisexual…. I don't know… Happy?", Kevin yelled and stumbled down on the bench, he nearly smashed the sandwiches. _This whole thing where so embarrassing!  
_ "Is that, you secret? That's nothing to be ashamed about", Edd smiled a little timid smile. "I can straight forward tell you that our sexual preferences are mutual, and if you feel that's a burden, you should express this to your other friends too"  
 _I already knew that, you dork_. "I know, but… " _I have crazy feelings towards you to_. "Everything is a mess"  
"Tell me about it", Edd sighed and shrugged. "I just, thought you ignored me because of… my OCD"  
"I don't care about your OCD", Kevin said and rose an eyebrow. "But I don't want to be a trigger; I want to be the one who can help"  
Edd began to quiver and visible tears ran down his cheeks. _Oh my god! What have I done!?_ Kevin rose up from the bench. Walked fast towards Edd and tried to wipe his wet cheeks with his sleeve. Had he said something wrong? Panic rose, maybe this had been a bad idea.  
"Hey, hey , no need to cry", Kevin said calmly and tried to look Edd in the eyes.  
"I'm just, relived", Edd said and moved away from him, tried to wipe his tears away with a smile. "And, glad, but confused, I don't know… friends?"  
 _Friends?_ "Oh sure… yeah", Kevin tried to smile but it felt like a stiff grimace, he wanted so much more. "Hey wipe those tears, I took you here for a reason, stargazing"  
But before Kevin even understood what was going on Edd buried his face against his collarbone and gave him a hug. Right there and then, Kevin felt that this simple gesture between them, was more intimate than all the kisses he and Nazz shared. _Come on stupid, tell him!_  
But that never happened. Instead they spent the whole evening, drinking disgusting hot chocolate and dry sandwiches while Edd told Kevin everything interesting about astronomy. One time when Edd looked through the telescope Kevin stood behind him, leaned a hand against the railing. Their bodies only few inches from each other, and more tension then the whole universe consisted in those few inches.


	7. Chapter 7

The ride home wasn't as pleasant as the ride during the afternoon. The numbness in Edd's fingers was evidence enough and affirmed that the temperature had dropped. But it had been an enjoyable evening and he felt relief. Kevin didn't hold a grudge against him after all. And Edd felt an underscribable feeling in his abdominal, a fluttery sensation. So Kevin was bi? Something seemed very wrong but also very right about that statement. What if… they actually had a chance?  
Kevin drove him all the way to Edd's driveway. He had never been so pleased about dismounting a vehicle before. It had been exciting and he would love to do it again tough, at least with Kevin. The stars looked down at them with their beautiful glow. Together with the gleaming frost it almost felt like Peach Creek had turned into a diamond.  
"Thank you Kevin, this evening was much appreciated", Edd said with a big smile, while looking at the jock. "And thank you for trusting me, if something else during that matter feels troubling, talk to me"  
"Yeah, yeah…", Kevin mumbled through his helmet. "Thank you for letting me kidnap you"  
"I volunteered", Edd laughed and passed the blue helmet to Kevin and was ready to go inside. "Have a very good night"  
"You too…hey, Edd", Kevin began and Edd had to turn around to him again, it looked like he really wanted to say something, Edd had begun to learn that face of Kevin, flickering eyes and he bit his lip. "Forget it… see you around, good night"  
Edd postponed to enter the house while he saw Kevin drive right across the Cul-de-sac and parked the motorcycle in the garage. They waved at each other while the withe garage door slowly closed and Kevin disappeared. He was a great company occasionally. Edd had begun to see him as a, friend… _oh he occupies my thoughts again._  
He sighed and unlocked and opened the front door, his was home alone this evening so everything in the house was pitch black. Kevin's confession just gave him hopes. In matter of the circumstances it was dangerous to grow hope. You really didn't know about Kevin and his true feeling, or intensions. Above all, you couldn't trust him to be true to his own feelings. Edd shook his head and pulled the light switch, nothing happened. What was this?  
"Well, well, well… what have we here?", a foot lamp lit up in a corner of the hall, there in their green armchair, sat Eddy, arms crossed and an expression of displeasure. "A traitor!"  
"Eddy, how did you enter my house without a key?", Edd asked, he tried to not feel embarrassed or caught.  
"Nothing you need to worry about!", Eddy scowled and rose up from the armchair. "Really Sockhead? You went out with Kevin? Of all people?"  
Edd sucked in his lips and looked down at his shoes when his friend moved towards him with a raised eyebrow. Why did he feel so ashamed of himself, he hadn't done something wrong. Or had he? He understood Eddy's anger towards him, but it was childlike, like they were in the kindergarten again.  
"He wanted to apologies for a thing he had done, I accepted the offer", Edd said and unzipped his jacket and hung in on their coat rack. "Our scam isn't going to air before next weekend, I thought it was acceptable, even if it's was abrupt"  
"MY scam, needs your brain, I need your brain!", Eddy yelled and gestured toward himself. "You hang around the enemy…"  
"Kevin is not our enemy", Edd said with a raised voice and glared at his friend. "Your grudge towards him is immature…"  
"No it's not don't stand up towards him!", Edd yelled and punched a finger against Edd's chest.  
Before Edd could realize everything went pitch black again. Eddy had pulled Edd's cap over his eyes and now he dragged him along. Eddwards heart hammered and he could feel panic awaken. He hadn't understood that his act had wounded Eddy this bad. Eddy pushed him in the chest and he fell down in the armchair.  
"Listen to me, Sochead!", Eddy scowled and lifted the hat, first a stinging light, then Eddys dark distressed eyes. "He just playing with you, dude, he has something going on, I don't know what but he's using you to get me, get it? Don't trust him"  
"That's absurd Eddy, I'm sorry if I sadden you, but don't accuse Kevin", Edd said while straighten his black hat, his face red of fury.  
"Oh I'm blaming him alright, just stop being around him… dude, I know you are kind but don't be stupid!", Eddy scowled and pressed a finger right in Edd's chest. "Or what are you, His BOYFRIEND? Or do you want to be?"  
"You just stepped over a delicate line Eddy.", Edd rose up from the armchair, forcing his friend to take a step back. "I must ask you to leave, don't be concerned about Kevin, and I apologies for today, if I had known that it would cause you this much destress I would have consider my actions more careful"  
"You better…. And about our sc.. HEY DOUBLE D!"  
Edd had pushed is friend out the door and slowly leaned his back against it, oh this wasn't good. But then he realized. _OH DEAR, Eddys jacket!_ As fast as his muscles could move he gripped Eddy's yellow jacket from the coat rack and quickly throw it out on the porch. He didn't want to speak with Eddy about Kevin, it was a very uncomfortable conversation. But the message Eddy had passed to him was clear, and Edd didn't know how to handle this information. Oh dear how would he manage this situation? Edd walked slowly up to his room and lay down in his bed without even bother about to take of his clothes. Oh… what would he do now? He wanted to know Kevin better… but Eddy seemed so destressed and concerned about it. Above all, Eddy had made Edd more anxious about everything around Kevin… maybe… if he was right? No… it couldn't that was absurd… or was it? Edd gazed toward his window; he could see stars peeking through the blinds. Every nerve in Edd's body tingled while looking back on this evening… it made him happy… why did he let Eddys words made him so uncertain?

As soon as he walked in to his bedroom Kevin threw his black helmet on his desk chair. He felt so light and fluffy inside. Even If he hadn't confessed much he had talked to Double Dork… they had finally being together and talked, an actual conversation! He couldn't stop smiling… that had worked tremendously well… Kevin jumped down in his bed and pulled of his shirt with a big grin… everything was going too…  
Then he heard his phone rang, and at that moment he realized… shit he had forgotten it at home this evening… and he had forgotten everything about Jimmy's stupid birthday. _SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!_ He reached his phone that buzzed all over his night stand. The display showed Nazz's pretty face. He remembered when he had took it, the day they had confessed their feelings towards each other, and right before the dorks had stumbled all over them and Eddy had tried to bribed them to buy some stupid moonrocks, which was blue painted shewed bubble gum.  
"Hi hey…", KEvin began but Nazz cut him off.  
"Where have you been all day!? I have been so worried about you, you, stupid!", She nearly sounded like Mrs. Weasley from Harry Potter, that was concerning.  
"Chill out, I forgot my phone and… I'm sorry… just went for a ride with my motorcycle… I forgot the time and…", Kevin tried to explain but NAzz didn't wait for him to finish.  
"Ohh you where? You just drove alone like some… some Daryl Dixon and completely ignoring your friends?", Nazz kept going, he could nearly feel the hurt she felt right now.  
"Yeah I where….", Kevin sighed, tried to keep his cool.  
" Seriously? I can't believe you! No you weren't… I know you had Double D with you… Ed, yes that's right ED told me!", Nazz yelled so loud that Kevin needed to remove the phone from his ear, he could still hear her highpitched voice.  
 _Oh shit!_ "And that's a problem because?", Kevin sounded nonchalant , he just wanted to stay above water during this fight.  
"Oh my god Kevin! I don't care about whom you hanging around with… the problem is, you just lied to me about it! Why? And why did you ignoring Jimmy's birthday, he's really upset about it, I want answers NOW, what's up with you?"  
Kevin sighed and rolled his eyes, he tried not to get panic or being furious, but that was hard. What could he say? He didn't want to hurt Nazz… he would have told her about this in a smooth and not so douchebag way. She made it really hard tough.  
"Nazz, calm down, I don't know how I could forget everything tonight but… you know… stupid me", he rose up from his bed and was just about to punch the wall when he began to gnaw at his knuckles instead. What had he done?! This was the dumbest thing he had ever done.  
"No I don't, seriously you have become so weird, and I… I… seriously… tell me… what's between you and that dork?", she stuttered, was she crying?!  
"Nothing, for fuck sake what do you think?", Kevin snorted and kicked his trashcan, it wobbled but didn't fell.  
"Really, Kev? I don't know", she sighed, a big sigh. "What I do know is, I want us to take a break, just because I can't handle your strangeness these days, I want to help but you obviously won't let me, so I'll keep my guard down, just apologize to Jimmy and do whatever you want…"  
Seriously, did she just say that to him? His room became a little smudged around the edges of his vision and he could feel wetness rolling down his cheeks "Nazz I'm, I'm sorry… I just… everything is… I can't lose you…"  
"Stupid, you won't lose me as a friend, what do you think I am? I'll see you tomorrow and we'll talk this through", she sighed again, a relived sound this time. "But I'm so disappointed at you, I thought it was kind of cute of you to befriend Double D, but now I'm not so certain anymore… if he makes you do this stupid stuff, but let's talk tomorrow I'm tired"  
"So am I..", Kevin sighed _tiered of everything.  
_ "Good night Kevin, see you tomorrow don't be too sad, okay? But you must open up and talk to me if you want my help, Love you"  
Then she hung up and leaved him with a monotone ringtone, leaved him hanging. He just stared at the phone for a while, what had just happened? Had she broke up? No, just a break… but that was just a kind way to say: _"We really should break up but that's up to you now_ ". He threw the phone in the wall with a growl. It bounced on the bed and landed on his pillow, the satisfaction about throwing was to see things broke; this shitty night didn't even get him that. With a roar he threw himself into the bed instead and buried his face in a pillow. Stupid ,stupid, stupid, Sockhead! Why did he make everything so hard?


	8. Chapter 8

So he and Nazz had the big talk, and they decided it was for the best to take a break and Kevin actually felt relieved about it. No more hiding or trying to force something that he couldn't feel at the moment. He also had to apologize to Jimmy, and the blonde boy was hurt about yesterday but he would forgive Kevin if it didn't happen again . It was a really emotional and kind of hard Sunday and Kevin fell asleep early.  
Everything felt quite alright again when the school began that Monday. He and Nazz walked together to school and he could actually have a normal conversation without stuttering or moping. He felt more relaxed, Edd knew about the one thing he needed to know, he and Nazz wasn't an official couple anymore… he felt okay.  
The week crept by and everything was as normal it could be. Kevin and Double D talked during classes, this time they talked about everything except schoolwork. He really started to grow fond of that stupid dork… the one problem was Eddy. That idiot just glared at him every time Kevin talked to Edd. But Sockhead didn't seemed to bother so Kevin tried to ignore it.  
"Hey Double D, what are you doing this weekend?", Kevin asked while they tried to do quadratic equations, or Edd did, Kevin was just too lazy to care.  
"Well, Study I assume, and me and my friends will build an remarkable thing for Halloween, what about you?", Edd asked without looking up from his notebook.  
"Well, Nazz have a Halloween party on Saturday, and I just wondered if you wanna tag along?", Kevin smiled and doodled a happy poop in the corner of Edds calculations.  
"How kind of you Kevin but I have to decline", Edd sighed and looked up at Kevin with a shy smile. "As I informed you, I have plans…"  
"And you can't like, reconsider or something?", Kevin kept on doodling in Edd's notebook until the dork with a sigh placed it further away from him.  
"It would be fun, but I have to stick to my schedule", said Edd and began to tap his pencil on the table, thinking while staring at all the numbers he had scribble down… he didn't wanna talk anymore.  
Kevin rolled his eyes and sighed, was he for real? Then he saw it in the corner of his eyes; that stupid Shrimps smirk of delight. What was up with him? Kevin rose and eyebrow and stared at him with an irritating 's was like, Edd's refusal was something funny.  
"But I think we can reconsider Double D, I mean, come on, we can fix our plans during the day and then…"  
"But please, what will you dorks do with that smelly junk of…"  
"It's an ghost house, if you want to know", Eddy scoffed and rolled his eyes. "It's gonna be awesome… it's a great opportunity to invite everyone at Nazz party!"  
"I'm gonna be dressed like an alien from the comic Aline attack!". Ed declared with a big grin and looked at them. "I gonna melt al our brains and feast on them with a straw, and al humans gonna become my minions!"  
Kevin just looked puzzled at dorkenstien. "Okay… right… but you mean that you three was about to crash our party?", Kevin continued and looked at Eddy, irritated.  
"Well duh, I hadn't thought about it, you just gave me that idea, not to bad Shovel chin…"  
"No more talk during our lesson boys, be quite!"  
Kevin could have smashed their math book in Eddy's thick skull right there and then if Mrs. Hipsburry hand't stopped him. Maybe that's was a good thing, Edd hadn't appreciate it. And what if Eddy soon realized that Double D was kind of a soft spot for Kevin? Because, even if Kevin thought about punching he would never do it, not now, even if he wanted to, so, so bad, That Shrimp would ruin everything, he just knew it.

Otktober the thirty-first came and pumpkins got carved and light up the porches around the cul-de-sac. Orange demonic faces glared at you when you walked up toward the houses and the younger generation of kids walked around on trick or treating in the chilly night air. Kevin had never understood trick or treating, or this holiday in general. But Nazz had always made him come to her annually parties and every year it turned out super fun.  
So here he sat on a chair and patiently waited for Nazz to finish the skeleton makeup that was smeared all over his face. Or it looked fantastic but it felt like his skin couldn't breathe underneath the heavy makeup.  
"Kevin remember to breathe", Nazz laughed and began to set the makeup with baby powder that made Kevin sneeze. "So, now you can walk around without stain anything or smear the makeup"  
Even if they wasn't a couple anymore, they had decided to dress up like Jack Skellington and Sally from Nightmare before Christmas. So Kevin wore a pinstriped costume and she wore a patched tight dress. She had also made stiches allover her body. That tight dress would have made him want to rip it off a couple of weeks ago. But not now, she looked absolutely stunning and hot in that ginger wig and everything, but Kevin could just see her like a friend right now, nothing more and that felt okay. Beside, Kevin couldn't think more about it because the doorbell rang and the first guests arrived.  
As always the Cul-de-sac teens arranged awesome parties. The punch tasted absolutely fantastic, sweet and fruity, you couldn't taste the alcohol in it. And the music was awesome; you just felt the urge to dance. Kevin had a really good time with his friends, and everyone had stunning costumes. Even the Kranker siblings looked like they had a good time where they stood and talked to Rolf and Johnny, who had dressed up like his beloved plank. Just an inside joke to everyone that knew about all his session and even interventions to get rid of that stupid plank.  
Kevin was about to tell a witty joke and tried to impersonate one of the teachers when the doorbell rang. Kevin refilled his red solo cup with liquor before he opened the door and took a sip. He almost spit it out when he saw the Ed's standing there. Eddy had dressed up as a zombie and as Ed had told them during school he actually had an awesome alien makeup. He looked exactly like that purple alien from Alien attack, the three eyes and everything. But as usual couldn't Kevin take his eyes of Double D, who had dressed up as a werewolf. Instead of his black hat he wore a grey fluffy thingy with pointy ears, he had even painted a little nose and whiskers. Kevin must be stupid who got more turned on by this instead of Nazz's Sally costume  
"Happy Halloween Kevin", Double D smiled a wide smile, SERIOSLY, he had fangs too! Kevin was so glad about wearing makeup so they didn't see him blushing. "I was just about to provide you guys this"  
Edd gave Kevin a card; he could tell it was Double D who had wrote the little invitation to their "Ghost house tour". The dork had even sketched some ghost and pumpkins around the card. Who could Kevin tell them in a nice way that none was interested?  
"Maybe you can trick small children into this, but not us, seriously?", Kevin raised an eyebrow and looked at them.  
"Don't take anything for granted Kevin", Edd smiled his soft smile and tilted his head.  
Kevin was just about to say something when he saw the look on Eddys face change, his eyes got wider and he couldn't stop staring behind Kevin. A brief smell of flower and musk was evidence enough for Kevin to realize that Nazz stood behind him.  
"Hey guys… what you up to?", she giggled and placed a hand on Kevins upper arm.  
"Well, they want us to come to their haunted house", Kevin sighed and rolled his eyes.  
"That's sounds creepy and fun!" Nazz said and turned around to the others. "Hey the Ed's have made a ghost house tour!"  
"Well, for only 5,99 of course!", yelled Eddy toward the other teens and under some latex wounds you could see a big smile when he reached out for Nazz's arm. "But I can rearrange so you can come inside, for free"  
Could he be more pathetic? Kevin and Edd exchange looks and just rolled their eyes. Oh well, Nazz laughed and escaped from Eddy and began to persuade the other guests. In the meantime Kevin stood there with the Ed's and again an awkward silence hung in the air.  
"You look stunning today Kevin, If I may say so", Double D began and laughed.  
"Oh well, thanks! Nazz fixed this, and you guys, look cool", Kevin said and gazed at them again, he fixed his eyes at Double D.  
"Everything thanks to Ed", Sockhead said proudly. "Who could foretell that he was excellent with latex and sfx makeup?"  
"Thanks Double D", Ed said and gave his friend a big hug. "And people say that comic conventions are stupid…"  
"Whatever, are you guys coming or what?", Eddy said and showed his hand in his pockets.  
"Well, Jimmy and Sarah won't come, but the rest of us will at least look at it", Nazz said when she came back with her coat on. "I'm excited!"  
And so they walked towards Eddys house. They saw a cardboard structure rise above the whole house. They had made a good job for a cardboard and junk creation. It was ghostly lit up by red and green lamps. The outside really looked like a haunted house you could visit at some fair. Was it just because of the cold or was the smell from before gone too? Kevin halted right next to Double D with shattering teeth.  
"Well, I remember your monkey land, will this at least hold together?", Kevin mumbled and bumped shoulders with the dork.  
"Don't underestimate my engineering skills", Edd laughed and shook his head. "I was a kid, what did I know about safety?"  
"Well, that time you and Jimmy made a safety team at school…", Kevin continued and Edd just sighed and smiled.  
"Naïve me, huh?"  
"Naïve you…", Kevin agreed and bumped Edd's shoulder again.  
"Come closer everybody and behold Eddy's haunted house!", Eddy shouted from a top of a wooden crate. "For just 5,99 your worst nightmares will become reality!"  
 _But please!_ Kevin was cold, and wasn't drunk enough to even try to cope with this. He just wanted to go back to Nazz house and continue their party, drink more and have more fun. But people were willing to give it a try. Teen after teen laid money in Eddy's glass jar and for every coin the smile got wider and wider on the zombie dork. They knew how this always ended, why did they even try to…  
A horrific soundtrack came alive when Johnny entered. It made Kevin shudder a bit. He wasn't good at scary… why didn't he remember that on the way here? But how could this be scary? It was the dorks who had created this, it wasn't… Johnny's first scream and Kevin swallowed loudly. Why hadn't he just stayed together with Jimmy and Sarah? The line shrunk for every minute and before Kevin could handle it, he was the last teen alone with Eddy. Where was Double D?  
"If you wanna go inside Shovel shin, pay up!", Eddy said and dangled his jar right in front of Kevins nose.  
"Ha, not interested!", Kevin scoffed and rolled his eyes, tried to look casual.  
"To chicken?!", Eddy laughed and sat down on the rack.  
"No, I'm just don't won't too be fooled by you", Kevin said and glared at the dork.  
"Whatever…", Eddy shrugged. "Go home to Jimmy and Sarah and cry a bit won't ya?"  
"Don't make me punch you!", Kevon scowled and cracked his knuckles.  
"Do that and forget about Sockhead", Eddy said with a big grin. "Do you think I'm stupid? I know something is going on between you two; I don't know what but hey, at least if I can take an advantage of it…"  
"Dork!", Kevin yelled, that little sneaky rat! "I just…"  
Johnny was the first one to come out from there; he had a big grin on his face. "WOW, that was awesome! Eddy for the first time, it was worth the money!"  
"Glad you think so Johnny!", Eddy smiled a big grin, ignoring Kevin's words.  
Something wasn't right, this was a scam, had to be. Something where really messed up if Eddy had built something that actually worked and didn't trick them. And above all, how could… Eddy did he know? Had Sockhead actually told his friends about… no he couldn't have, not Edd…

Rolf came out with a confused expression right after Johnny; he didn't look scared or thrilled at al. That gave Kevin other things so think about then if Eddy knew about that he was bi. Had he discover the fraud? Kevin hoped so, because otherwise…  
"Is this what you consider scary? Rolf is confused, in the Old Country we have the big bad wolf that takes small lambs and sheep. That, Ed boy, is scary. Have I told you the story of Rolf's old, grand, grand, father's uncle and how he…"  
Kevin sighed, of course, it was Rolf… what could you expect?  
One by one the teens came out from the cardboard house; they looked thrilled, like they actually had enjoyed something that Eddy had made. They gathered around the idiot and complementing him and said that he actually for once had done something good. Kevin didn't believe it, at al…  
"Who's idea was it?", Johnny asked, he looked kind of silly with two red circles painted around his big eyes and a blue grin that was shopped of as soon as he began so speak.  
"Mine of course", Eddy said and shrugged. "What can I say, I have awesome ideas"  
"It was Double D who came up with the idea Eddy", Ed said, he had shut of all the electric functions and the cardboard house became pitch black again. "Where is he by the way? I thought he had come out?"  
"Haven't seen him", Eddy said and shrugged again.  
"Maybe he is still inside?", Ed said a little worried. "It's a labyrinth, or maybe…. An alien have abduct him to their mothership and doing experiments on him?!"  
If Kevin hadn't so much makeup, he had facepalmed. No he was so done here, he just wanted to go back, but he couldn't without Double D. So without saying anything or give the others a warning he went inside the dark house. Where was the dork? Kevin walked cautiously with his hands always touching a wall; you couldn't see at all, so incredibly stupid!  
"Double D, can you hear me?", Kevin shouted , he stepped in something wet, ugh!  
"Oh Kevin, where are you?"  
"Here! At the entrance just follow my voice!"  
"I shall, I'm coming, keep up the conversation!"  
"I'm freezing my balls of and Eddy is an idiotic dork, just come on!"  
Then something walked right into him in the darkness. Kevin could feel something light and soft touch his lips right before the soundtrack began again and some lights came on. And there he stood, Double D, their lips barely touching, just a promise of a kiss. Kevin jolted backwards and drew his finger through his greasy back slick. Oh my god, oh my god! He didn't feel any better when he saw Edd blushing and just because of that Kevin felt his cheeks heating to.  
"Let's go", Kevin said and snatched Double D's by the wrist and walked out.  
"I'm so utterly, absolutely, sorry!", Edd stuttered, you could hear the panic in his voice.  
"Don't, not now!", Kevin said trough gritted teeth.  
They walked out and everybody greeted them with relieved expressions. Ed threw his arms around them and was so thankful that Double D was alright and wasn't abducted by aliens. Kevin could just think about the near kiss experience, what had happened? He was so chocked that he didn't even realized that Edd had a nosebleed. It was Nazz who handed him a tissue. Ashamed Double D tried to stop the flow while they walked back toward Nazz's house. Apparently they would watch Saw II, everyone was invited, including the Ed's. but he could only think about the kiss. Kevin hurried to catch up with Edd. Before they entered Nazz house he needed to talk to him. It was right before they came to the yard he could grab the dork by the wrist again.  
"Hey, wait", Kevin said, their eyes met and Kevin grinned when he saw Edd's dribbling nose. "I was that good, huh?"  
"Oh, stop it!", Edd said shyly and wiped his nose yet again with the bloodstained tissue.  
"I'm joking!", Kevin laughed a witty laugh. "Nothing happened okay? No harm done?"  
Edd nodded. "What happened?"  
"Exactly", Kevin said and boxed Edd on the upper arm. "Come, we gonna miss parts of the movie"  
The movie where hideous and Kevin tried to not look as terrified as he actually felt. He sat in the sofa with Double D and Nazz on either side of him. Jimmy had given up the movie a long time ago together with Sarah. The others hide their faces with pillows or just had disgusted looks on their faces. Kevin could keep it together, until one of the characters fell down in a pool of used syringes. The more the character struggled to get up from the pool, the more the needles dug deeper and deeper into the poor girl's skin. Kevin wanted to throw up, this was so awful. He glanced at Double D, who seemed troubled and disgusted, but not as bad as Kevin.  
"How can you keep it together?", Kevin whispered to Edd, just to have something to do except watching the movie.  
"I'm a friend to Ed, so that's why, he love horror movies, and I'm fond of them as well", Double D said and peeked towards Kevin. "Are you alright? You don't look to well?"  
"What? Me? No", Kevin said and shrugged.  
He hated needles and everything with syringes and hospitals. Eddy had joked about it one time, it had been the worst day at school in ages. It was just the feeling when the needle sunk into the skin, hurtful, pain and destress. When Kevin really considered going to the bathroom and throw up someone grabbed his hand, on his left side, not Nazz. He looked down and Double D's hand lay on top of his. At first he thought about if he would shake it off, but he didn't. Kevin slowly intertwined their fingers instead. Edd didn't seem to object so they kept their hands like that during the rest of the movie. And Kevin hadn't felt so happy during a horror movie before.


	9. Chapter 9

It felt like everyone knew about what had happened during Halloween. The near kiss and their entangled fingers. He could still feel Edd's neat finger between his. Oh god, what did he think about?  
Kevin shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts. It was nothing really, Double D surely just hold his hand to ease the agony about the stupid movie. But still… it had been a sweet gesture…  
"HEY KEVIN!"  
Someone shut his locker right in front of his nose and Kevin jumped away in surprise and looked down to see if his fingers where intact, gladly they were. He swore and raised his head and there stood Eddy. The shorter guy just glared at him with gritted teeth and a raised eyebrow, unamused apparently. Kevin just rolled his eyes and sighed. _What now?_  
"What do you want, dork?", he scoffed and righted his backpack straps.  
"What's do you want with Sockhead?", Eddy said and took a step closer to Kevin, how dared he?  
"None of your business Shrimp", Kevin snorted and clinched his fists and walked towards Eddy, he needed to be looked down at. "What, are you afraid I'll steel your boyfriend?", yeah he used Eddys own joke.  
"No, but do you wanna be his?", Eddy said, tried to stretch his neck so he could raise above Kevin, but it failed. "Whatever you doing, stop messing with him"  
"What you talking about, I'm not…"  
"Are you kidding?!", Eddy screamed and flung out with his hands, everyone in the corridor looked at them now and Kevin gritted his teeth and glanced down at the floor, why did the dork need to make a scene? "You screwing with him, you screwing with me, our group! We know you don't care you just want to bullying us, this is just a new way of doing it… a very irritating way"  
"SHUT UP!", Kevin growled and took a fistful of Eddy's shirt and pressed him against the locker.  
"You'll never hit me, because you need Double D… for something I don't know how but…"  
Kevin punched him alright, right in the jaw. Eddy's back head flung right into the lockers, it seemed like it hurt a lot. Kevin's knuckles pounded in pain after the blow on Eddy's chin. But before Kevin could react, the dork punched him in the stomach. Everything ended up with the two fighters rolling around on the floor, like one big unit of cursing and yelling and pain. The other teens made room for them and just observed in curiosity. Some of the students cheered and some of them begged them to stop. Kevin couldn't hear them, he just wanted to punch the grin from that stupid face of Eddy's. But the little Shrimp could give out punches as good as Kevin. He could feel blood running down from his nose over his upper lip and in to his mouth, the metallic and salty taste just triggered Kevin to keep on going. Until someone dragged him of Eddy by his collar and held the both troublemakers an arm length from each other. The stinky smell made Kevin realized it was Ed who had broken up the fight.  
"Thank you Ed"  
Kevin turned his head toward the voice and Double D stood there in front of them with armed crossed. Embarrassment ran through Kevin's body when he saw the Sockhead's annoyed expression. Why did it feel like he had got caught by his own parents? It was the same feeling, same stupid shame.  
"Big chin started!", Eddy said and tried to wriggle out of Ed's grip.  
"Let go of me Dorkenstein and let me punch the crap out of…!"  
"PARDON ME!", Edd raised his voice and both Eddy and Kevin looked baffled at him. "I'm not curious about which one of you who initiated this fight, I'm equally disappointed at you, the only request I have is that you two can respect each other, is that too much to ask?"  
"Ask bazooka chin…", Eddy muttered, and wiped the blood from his wounded lip.  
"Oh you little…" Kevin was just about to wiggle out from Ed's grip when another voice echoed around the corridor.  
"MR BARREN AND MR TROODY, principal's office, now!"  
The both boy stopped again and looked towards Mr Gant, their history teacher, who patrolled the corridors. He walked towards the teens and grabbed Kevin and Eddy by their upper arms and dragged them away from their friends. Kevin looked in the direction of Double D who shook his head in disbelief and didn't want to see his both friends in the eyes. Why had Kevin pick a fight with this dork? So ridiculous…

 _Oh my god what have I done?_

He sat in a chair with a tissue pressed under his bleeding nose. Mr Vimley's big wooden desk felt very unnerving and huge. It was a big boot and Kevin were a little ant, whom would be crushed. He knew that he would get in big trouble because of this. They had warned him thousands times about fights in the corridor. That could lead to expulsion, at its worst. What would his parents say? He didn't wanna know…  
"Mr Barren? What do you have to say?", Mr Vimley asked and leaned towards Kevin with his fingertips pressed together.  
They had already talked through what happened and Eddy had leaved with two weeks of detention. That lucky Shrimp, he hadn't get in so much trouble as Kevin under the years.  
"I wish I had punched him harder…" Kevin mumbled and looked down at the bloodstained tissue.  
"MR BARREN!", Mr Vimley rose from his chair. "Whatever the cause to fight was, it's not allowed within these walls, I have to give you a month detention, starting when your four days of suspension is over!"  
"Whatever dude, give me a month suspension, I don't care…", Kevin snorted and rose up from his chair. "Are we done? You know, so I can pack my bags and go home?"  
"You stay where you are while I call your parents… MR BARREN!"  
Kevin where already outside of the office and kicked a trashcan while he was at it. This was so ridiculous, everything was because of the Double Dweeb. If Kevin just… could say what he really felt none of this stupid shit had happened. Eddy would back of and both Kevin and Edd would know where they stood in their relationship. So why was it so hard to say something?! He heard their principal yell something at him but Kevin didn't care. He just ran along the corridor and slide down the handrail down a stair, it was faster than walking after al. In the last second when Kevin jumped of the railing someone walked right in his path and they tumbled down on the floor. Kevin who already was bruised wined, so did the other guy. Kevin had glimpsed a black tube hat and an orange sweater, he knew who it was. _SHIT SHIT SHIT!_  
"Man are you alright?", Kevin asked when he had rose up from the floor.  
"I'm alright…", Double D said short and began to pick up his papers that laid scattered across the floor. "How went the consultation with Mr Vimley ?"  
"Well…"  
"MR BARREN!"  
Kevin grabbed Double D by his tube hat and dragged him into the nearby classroom. If it was someone he didn't want to talk to, it was Mr Vimely. Kevin sighed and closed the door and pressed his back against it. Oh man, that didn't go as planned. They were inside a dark classroom and the pale light made it ghostlike. Long shadows casted along the walls and made everything feel like an old black and white photo with sharp contrasts.  
"Kevin please let go of my hat!", Edd whimpered.  
Then Kevin realized that he still had a firm grip around it. He looked down at the dork who held onto his bellowed hat as if his life depended on it. It was kind of cute, but in the same time sad that he cared so much about a stupid hat.  
"Oh sorry man!" Kevin said and loosened his grip.  
Double D straighten it with neat hands and a he let out a big sigh. Kevin followed his example and shoved his hands in his pockets. What, now? Well, they were alone…  
"Why did you and Eddy fight, be truthful", Double D asked after a long time of silence.  
"I'm… We… he was concerned about, us I guess", Kevin mubmeled and stared into the wall.  
"Be more specific", Edd said and sat down in nearest chair, still fiddling the dumb hat.  
"Well… he think I'm messing you up, screwing with you", Kevin sighed and scratched his neck.  
"Oh dear…", Double D said and sucked in his under lip. "Well sadly, I can't argue against him…"  
Kevin tilted his head upwards and met Double D's concerned blue eyes. He sat in the chair, hands neatly pressed against his knees and his feet slightly pointing toward each other. He was so cute Kevin could eat him up. But what did he mean?  
"You puzzle me, Kevin, you informed me that it was okay to be friends, but it seems… sometimes you bluntly disregard me, and sometimes it's more like… romantic interactions… I can't keep up with your hasty temper so you must tell me, what is your intensions with our acquaintanceship?"  
So Double D decided to ask him? Just like that… wow… just… wow. Kevin didn't know what to say really. That Double D made him so frustrated but so happy in the same time? That Sockhead made him do so stupid things because he couldn't think of anybody, or something else, except him and his strange being? Kevin couldn't talk about that. He was so bad at emotions.  
"I know but… I'm so, so, mad at you, sometimes", Kevin laughed an unfunny laugh. "You messing with my head just as much as I messing with yours… you make me do so stupid things… and that's just because…"  
Kevin was so close to say it but it felt like his tongue knotted itself. He couldn't say it, how could he? It was stupid and even if Double D felt the same… it wouldn't work. Kevin was supposed to be with Nazz, the popular hot cheerleader captain…. It just made sense and it was status quo. It would disturb the balance so much if… if…  
"Because?", Edd asked, he really tried to drag it out of him.  
"Because… I…I"  
 _Oh idiot just show him if you are too dumb to speak!_  
Kevin rushed towards the dork and before either of them could think Kevin leaned into Double D and kissed him. Their lips together felt electric and his lips tasted like fresh mint and he smelled like sweet soap. Kevin heart flickered and skipped beat after beat, he nearly forgot to breath. He felt everything and nothing in the same time. He felt numb but every nerve prickled and poked under his skin. For a short second he felt like he could stay right here and now… before he understood what he really did. He jolted backwards and felt his whole face turning red. _Stupid stupid, stupid!_ He glanced furtively at the Sockhead. His blue eyes was as large as tennis balls at the moment and he just stared at Kevin with blushed cheeks.  
"Kevin, I…"  
"I'm just… sorry I… forget it… I… sorry"  
The school bell rang for the third period and Kevin bolted out from the classroom. Forget school, forget everything, just leave, go home and rot. He would never be able to look Double D in the eyes again, he had just destroyed their whole friendship. Double D would tell his friends and soon everyone would know… Eddy would never shut up about it. Kevin rushed along the corridors and elbowed his way through the masses of students, including his friends. They shouted at him, wanted him to stop but he ignored them.  
It was raining when he opened the entrance door. Kevin felt the wet fabric of his hood soaking him and chilled him down to the bone. It was a good cold, kept him from thinking of anything. He began to walk and he kicked every rock in his way across the schoolyard. He just let his feet lead the way, he didn't want to go home… he just wanted to get sick and die in this rain. How could he be so stupid?  
When his phone buzzed Kevin realized that he had crawled into an old minivan at the junkyard. It smelled and was hideous looking with pink fluffy dices dangling from the re view mirror, he looked at himself. He sat crawled up in the driver seat and his appearance was just as miserable as he felt. He broke his eye contact with the sad boy and watched the display, it was Nazz.  
"Kevin what did just happened, where are you? And…"  
"Nazz, please you will be so, so, confused and mad but I need your help", Kevin said and for the first time, he let the sadness stutter his voice.


	10. Chapter 10

Nazz forced Kevin to come home with her after school. They didn't talk to each other during the rainy walk to her house. She just hold his hand and led the way over puddles and wet leafs. Kevin didn't feel like talking, not now, he just wanted to lay in bed and just… just… be gone. But Nazz didn't let him do that either. It was when he sat in her sofa with a cup of tea in his hand he told her everything, she practically dragged everything out of him. He couldn't handle to be alone with these feelings anymore. He even told her about the stupid kiss, and how Double D had screwed with his minds during weeks! Nazz was awesome and let him finish before she smiled a warm smile.  
"I have messed everything up and I'm such an utterly stupid idiotic dork", Kevin sighed and buried his face in his hands. "Ha ironic, I'm the dork now…"  
"Kevin, just listen to me", Nazz sighed and grabbed his chin and forced him to meet her eyes. "I wish that you had told me sooner, well, I knew, or we all have, kind of, but you just can't shut us out. Because we can't read your mind and help you, especially when you telling us that you're fine but you obviously not?"  
"I know…", Kevin muttered and waved Nazz hand away. "I'm just…"  
"No, you listen!", Nazz said and placed a finger over his lips. "I want to be mad at you for keeping this inside while we still was a couple, but I'm not, because I can see you suffer and that won't do. You haven't done something wrong, about Double D that is, you must talk to him…"  
"HA, fat chance now, he'll think I'm a harasser" Kevin snorted and crawled up in the sofa and bit his lips. "He'll never ever talk to me, because I as soon as I have the guts, I'm just running it, I get mad or… do stupid things"  
"That's not something new dude", Nazz laughed and bumped his shoulder. "You just…"  
Nazz got interrupted by someone nocking, no, pounding on the door. Angst and anger translated in pure bodily action. Who was that? The two friends looked at each other before Nazz headed towards the door. Kevin waited in the couch and watched the rain dripping and slowly tracing down the window. That reminded him that he was soaking wet and utterly cold, the tea hadn't helped him so much. But at least one thing was settled. Nazz was right, as always, and it actually felt better after talking to her. It was hard to keep secretes towards your best friend…  
"KEVIN ARE YOU THERE?!", yelled a scruffy nasal voice, Eddy.  
"Not cool, dude, you're not coming in!", Nazz snorted.  
Kevin rose up from the sofa and followed the shouting voices. In the hall he saw how Eddy tried to force himself inside while Nazz tried to shut the door. Her heels digging into their carpet and her whole body pressed against the door just to not let the dork in.  
"What do you want now? Haven't you have enough already?", Kevin said and crossed his arms.  
"Tell me what you have done to Double D? And fix it, now!", Eddy growled and glared at Kevin.  
"Wait, what?", Kevin couldn't quite grasp what was happening. "What's up with him?"  
"See for yourself Shovel chin!", Eddy kept on yelling but stepped aside and Nazz slowly opened the door.  
If Eddy wanted his help, something were wrong. Kevin traced a hand over his face and sighed. He didn't wanna know how Sockhead felt after today. Maybe after everything, Kevin finally had ruined that fragile guy. However, he wanted to know what's going on, he wanted to help if he could. So there was nothing left to do beside to shove Eddy out of his way and march towards Edd's house during pouring rain. He got soaked again and dripped water all over the porch when he finally arrived to Edd's. That walk had felt like hundred miles, not two hundred yards. He knocked on the door, no answer. He waited outside for ten minutes but Double Dork didn't fetch the door. Oh well, Kevin grabbed the door handle and went inside. As soon as he walked into the hall he smelled the cleaning gadgets, it prickled his nose and made him sneeze. Not again… Kevin kicked of his shoes and began to look for Double D. So Eddy hadn't seen this side of Double D before? No wonder he was alarmed.  
"Double D, are you here?", Kevin shouted.  
He heard something fall from the upper floor. Kevin took the stairs two steps at a time and found the poor guy in his own room. The green room where spotless and labeled all over the place. And there, polishing on a big magnifying glass where Edd. He sat by his desk and wore disposable gloves and a mint green surgical mask. Kevin felt so bad to have trigger his OCD again.  
"Hey Double D?", Kevin tiptoed toward the boy who didn't seemed to bother about anything except that magnifying glass. "Edd?"  
Double D didn't react until Kevin placed a hand on his shoulder. The boy jolted and turned his head towards him. It stung to see those blue eyes puffy and filled with distressed tears. Had Kevin's kiss really made him that troubled? Kevin didn't bare to look at him and lowered his gaze. _Look what you have done you stupid idiot!_ Kevin gnawed of his inner cheek and scratched his neck.  
"I'm sorry I just ran off like that", Kevin said utterly ashamed.  
"Well, no harm intended, I'm just… it's fine, I just… cleaning this mess up", Double D stuttered and kept on polishing his stupid magnifying glass, and soon he began on his plastic skull, he had nearly rubbed of the white paint from it, you could see cracks… oh man.  
"No it's not, please look at me!", Kevin said and grabbed Edd's both gloved hands, to force him to let go of the skull and the cloth and made him rose up from the chair instead. "I'm an idiot, I shouldn't have done it…"  
"Hold up Kevin… your actions now are exactly what I was trying to explain to you before, they are irrational and none understandable" Edd said while he wiggled out from Kevins grip and threw the mask in a trashcan. "You are shambolic, I can't… just can't… handle confusion anymore, and Eddy have rash conclusions and… and… you and my friends argues and won't acquiesce … my mind just can't tolerate this anymore! Please Just leave!"  
He curled up in the unwrinkled bed and pressed his legs up towards his stomach. Just joints and bones intertwined with each other. A true mirror of Kevin just some hours before. The Sockhead pulled down his hat over his eyes and ears and hugged his legs. That made Kevin smile though, how mad or sad Edd was, he never stopped being cute. With a sigh Kevin threw himself beside the dork and placed an arm around his shoulders. Double D's body trembled and Kevin could still see tears tracing down his cheeks. He just wanted everything undone, this was so stupid.  
"If you are so inconsiderate, please, leave me alone", Double D whispered and shook Kevins arm of. "Please, no… Kevin, NO!"  
Kevin ignored Double D's protest and forced him into a big hug. Edd tried to fight against it, push Kevin away but in vain. Everything ended with Double D curled up against Kevin's chest and his face buried into Kevins collarbone. Minutes crept buy and Kevin didn't know how long they just sat there in bed. 30 minutes, an hour? The rain withdrew and when Kevin glanced towards the window, it was dark outside. He felt both utterly ashamed but also utterly warm and happy with the neat boy in his arms like this. If it wasn't because of the OCD and Kevins's stupidness it had been a good time. When Edd calmed down and his body felt relaxed Kevin slowly lifted the dork's hat so he could see his eyes. They were red and puffy, but at least they seemed more peaceful, and tiered. Kevin couldn't resist a smile and tilted his head.  
"Maybe I'm the bigger mess of us", Edd croaked and tried to dry his wet cheeks. "And why do I always cry in front of you?"  
"Because I'm too hot to handle, but serious, if I haven't been so stupid this wouldn't have happened", Kevin sighed and let go of Double D who leaned against the wall instead. It was time to say it, he had already told Nazz, what could go wrong? _Everything…"_ Because it's so hard to say that I kind of… like you"  
Edd stared at him with open mount, baffled. So it was out there now between them. Kevin rose up from the bed and shook his legs to waken them from limited blood flow. Could Edd just respond about this? He needed to say something! They looked at each other a long time, Couldn't he just… do something?! Kevin shoved his hand in his pockets and let the tension build up between them. What would he do now?  
"Like? Like… truly like _like_ ", Edd mumbled and eyed Kevin head to toe.  
Kevin laughed, right there and then he knew why he liked the dork. "Yeah, like like…"  
"I don't know how to respond… I mean Eddy…", Double D began and flickered with his eyes again.  
"Whatever bighead have told you it's his own thoughts and it's wrong, I'm not doing this to mess with you", Kevin said and rolled his eyes. "This happened because I can't talk about stuff like this, but now… I just wanted to be fair with you"  
"I appreciate that, I think, thank you", Double D said and smiled a shy smile. "In fact, I think I like you too"  
Kevin eyes winded. "You DO!?" this was more than he could hope for.  
"Positive, I've ponder if our feelings where mutual, it seems like my conclusion were right", Double D's eyes disappeared under his tube hat again and his cheeks turned red. "This is uncomfortable to talk about"  
"Indeed", Kevin sighed and shook his head, and now to the other thing. "Okay then, can we, maybe try this out, on a proper date?" _A secret date none would ever know about…_  
"I'm uncertain Kevin…", Double D began to mumble and rolled his thumbs .  
"No need to rush, we just… let it be for now?" Kevin babbled and threw his hands up in the air. "Talk to me when you want to and IF you want to… and… well… stuff like that"  
"That's sounds reasonable", he said and looked up at Kevin.  
"But if you would go out with me, you wouldn't be disappointed", Kevin grinned and rose an eyebrow. "I mean, come on, you would get the best of the best!"  
That actually made Double D laugh, his true laugh, and Kevins heart skipped a beat. It was so cute, so genuine and made Kevin so happy. He could get rid of his motorcycle and moped just to hear that laugh again. Suddenly, everything just felt brighter and a huge burden eased and disappeared from Kevin's chest. He had said it, showed it, it wasn't so much he could do now. He was relieved that he had made Double D calm again. Because like he had said, he didn't want to be a trigger, EVER again.  
"Will you follow me downstairs or will you sit here like a sad little creature?" Kevin smiled and reached out for Edd's hand.  
"Stop it", Edd laughed and accepted Kevins hand.  
They went down together, quietly, but it was a good kind of silence. That kind when you felt that you didn't need to talk to make the other person understand your intension and feel comfortable. Kevin tied his shoes and Edd handed him his soaked hood.  
"I offered you an umbrella, my intensions was for you to use it", Double D sighed, but smiled.  
"I forgot", Kevin just hanged it over his arm, he would be cold either way. "Are we okay? Are you okay?"  
"Positive", Double D nodded and looked down on the shiny floor. "This won't happen again…"  
"Don't blame yourself…", Kevin sighed and ruffled Sockheads hat a bit with a smile. "Cheer up"

"Good bye Kevin", Double D said and opened the entrance door.  
"See you around, Sockhead"  
Kevin wanted to kiss him again, but he held back, this was not a good time. So instead he leaved the house and began to walk home in the freezing cold. Again this had been a crazy day, but he didn't need to be worried about Double Dweeb anymore. He knew everything, and it was up to him now what he wanted to do. Now, Kevin had to take care of his parents, he had a lot of explaining to do about what had happened at school. Maybe he didn't need to wonder about if his friends would find out or not. Maybe his parent's would take care of that and ground him for good.


	11. Chapter 11

Well, grounded for 2 weeks and detention wasn't the greatest achievements in Kevin's life. However, the punishments just kept coming. A cold hit him hard and the four days from school was a blessing, they was well spent in bed with fever. His disrespect against their principal leaved him cut off from their upcoming football games too. They only had some games left and even if Kevin was a key player he could be spared, but his teammates wasn't happy. Nat was one of them who made Kevin feel bad about it. He argued why he bothered about the dorks in the first place? Why couldn't he just leave them alone? But what could Kevin do? What was done was, well, done?  
Kevin sat in the bathtub and scoped up some bubbles in his hands, they wiggled around like jello. But one thing felt very bad, and that was the friend zone thing. He had talked about it with Nazz but she just said that Kevin needed confident and had to let Double D be, after all it was Kevin who had threw the ball and it was up to the shy fragile dork to catch it. He sighed and blew right through the foam and colonies of tiny white bubbles slowly fell down and joined their friends in the bathtub. It wasn't his fault, or was it? Kevin took a deep breath and sank right down under the fuzzy bubbles and let the warm water completely shut him out from the real world, his thoughts, and his troubles. The water cleansed him, every pore, every cell free from the infection called worry and angst. Too bad you needed oxygen to live. He gasped after air when he broke the surface and took deep breath and began to cough.  
"Kev is everything alright in there?"  
It was his mom. "I'm alright …", he sighed and coughed. "Just gulped water"  
No he would just let the Dweeb be. If he wanted something he had to walk up to Kevin and talk to him. That's right… Kevin drained the bathtub and reached for a towel. But what if Eddy was the one messing with the poor guy's brain? Kevin dried his hair and tucked the towel around his waist. Well, only time could sort things trough and Edd couldn't avoid him forever… Kevin would not tolerate that.

The snow began to cover the cul-the-sac and the teens needed heavier clothes on their way to school. Thanksgiving where only weeks away and Kevin got more frustrated by every day that passed. One wedensday he walked behind The dorks towards school and he couldn't stop looking at Double D, had his confession meant nothing to him? Really? He walked between his friends and they laughed and made funny jokes, completely normal. What had Kevin done wrong?  
"And then we have that big meaty wiener… Kev boy? Are you listening to Rolf's story?", Rolf began I little bit irritated.  
"Do you know what's going on with the Ed's?", Kevin asked and nodded towards them.  
Rolf followed his gaze. Ed had laid down to make a snow angle and Eddy formed snowballs, ready to throw. Double D gave his friends a timid smile and rolled his eyes and he began to transform the wet snow into snowballs as well. Kevin couldn't stop thinking about him… oh gosh… why was it so hard to try to stay away?  
"Nothing special, why do you ask Kev boy?", Rolf shrugged.  
"Well, no… just…"  
Something cold, and wet hit him right in the face. Cold water slowly trailed down his face and followed his skin until it found the edge of his jacket and crept in under his shirt. A nasal laugh accompanied by a deeper slower laugh reached Kevin while he cursed and wiped the snow of his face. He glared at the dorks who laughed themselves teary-eyed. Not Double D of course he looked concerned, as always.  
"Okay who threw it?!", Kevin yelled and fingers pointed towards Double D.  
"Kevin I… I'm utterly completely regretful", Double D began but Kevin just rushed towards him and pinned him by a tree.  
Kevins heart thumped so hard when their eyes met. Again, he wanted to kiss him, again he couldn't, not in front of… them. Instead he grabbed a fistful of slush and tilted his head a little with a playful smile. Double D bit his lip and looked up to him with pleading eyes, he almost looked like a husky. Revenge needed to be done and Kevin raised his hand and Double D squinted.  
"Stop ignoring me, you dork", Kevin whispered in Double D's ear before he smeared the slur in his face. "Now we are even"  
But he couldn't help himself to laugh and help Double D wipe everything of, could he see a smile on Double D's face too? Before he really understood what he actually had done he noticed everyone staring at them. Eddy, Ed, Rolf… they looked at them with eyes big as baseballs. Kevin had done it again, blew his own cover…. His cheeks turned red and he shoved his hand in his pockets.  
"I mean of… course…. Do it again and I'll… I'll" Kevin began looking down at his own shoes.  
"Kevin… here", Double D said and when Kevin dared to glance at him he held Kevin's red cap.  
"Thanks", he mumbled and grabbed it and walked away from the scene.  
Rolf hurried towards him and Kevin soon felt an arm around him. Rolf smiled so wide you could see his yellowed teeth. Kevin wrinkled his nose and tried not to be too disgusted by this….  
"You fancy sock head Ed, boy, Rolf is right huh?", Rolf laughed. "We have all wondered but…"  
"Oh come on dude!", Kevin sighed and walked faster and made Rolf loosen his grip. "I have football practice and don't have time for this shit!"  
He didn't have his head in the game during their whole practice. He was slow, he didn't keep up with what was happening on the field. They squished him down in the cold snow and he got snow al inside his helmet. Nath laughed his as off and everyone seemed a little bit off because their captain didn't kept up with everything. Their coach didn't enjoy it either because he screamed at them, called them useless and they could leave walk over if this was their best efforts. Kevin wiped his runny nose with the back of his hand and rolled his eyes. The terrible fact was, their coach was right, they were terrible and Kevin felt guilty about it. Their captain should push them to do better…  
"Hey come on guys, don't sulk we'll…"… Kevin began when they walked toward the changing room, everyone cold, dirty and soaked.  
"Well you won't do anything because you won't play! Because you are an total asshole and leaved us hanging!", Nat yelled and threw his helmet in the slush, consisted of snow and mud.  
Yet again it was so much emotion and angst in one single movement, Kevin had a hard time to take everything in and it stung to she his friend so frustrated. Oh… Nat was angrier than ever. Everything was Kevin's fault, he hadn't thought about his team at all during the whole semester. Double D had just burst his brain and filled the crevasses with his cute being. Kevin sighed and took Nats helmet, the orange peach was covered in dirt and Kevin gently polished it clean wht his shirt.  
"I'm sorry, but I'll try to help… the team just don't consist of me, I know I haven't provide any team spirit but this whole autumn have been crazy…", Kevin babbled and held up the door while Nat and some other teammates walked inside to their changing room.  
"We KNOW, first you and Nazz, and now… well whatever", Nat muttered and pulled of his dirty clothes and raveled his great abs and black shoulder pads.  
"Tell me just exactly what did you want to say Nat?!" Kevin grunted and began to undress as well.  
"WELL… Double D?", Nat yelled and threw his pads in the floor. "You losing it dude, because of a stupid idiotic, DORK! Don't forget why we made you captain man!"  
Kevin stared at all of his teammates who made exactly same faces. They agreed with everything Nat said right now. What? So they thought… that was absurd. Kevin sighed and copied Nat and slammed his shoulder pads in the floor. Stared at them with flustered cheeks.  
"OH, you think that's why I'm… NO, why should a dork, especially Sockhead be a problem? I don't care about him at all, I felt sorry about him because he have so stupid friends, but no that's not the problem here, Double D means nothing to me! You guys come first… and I know that have not been the case for a while but I'll change, okay? I'll be the captain you deserves guys! I'll forget my goodwill project and focus on the real problem, to keep us floating this season, so we can deliver, okay?"  
"Well show it!", Nat said and crossed his arms and sighed.  
"Come on!", Kevin sighed and flung his arm out. "Here"  
One by one his teammates placed their hands over his and after a while they had made a even circle.  
"PEACH CREEK!", Kevin screamed of the top of his lungs.  
"COBBLERS!", the other yelled.  
"PEACH CREEK!"  
"COBBLEEEERS!"  
They raised their hands unified and screamed and cheered together. Kevin flet his whole body relax, he had forgotten how to breathe a moment there. But they seemed more exited now and it was a good feeling spreading around the room when people began to shower and make themselves ready to ordinary school. He just had to do it, say that to ease the tension. Kevin felt so guilty, he had been a bad captain… it would be better when he and Double D had set things straight. Soon the room was emptied with jocks and they leaved a defining silence behind. A quite click from the bathroom door broke the silence and a anxious blue eyed boy with a black sockhat peaked out.


	12. Chapter 12

**OKAY I have to say thanks' to every one of my followers and al people who read this, this means a lot to me! First time I write a fanfic and this amazing response makes my day every day and I want to give the best of me to you guys!**

 **A big thanks to** **Kizi1999 who inspires me! Check her stories out, they are awesome if you want more KevEdd read Staring At Ya, Secretly  
**

* * *

After the practice Kevin had math class. It was boring as hell but at least he could talk to Double D and be together with him. But that didn't happened. Double D arrived a little bit late and Kevin just stared at him with a grin. But his smile quickly vanished and transformed into a forced grimace. The Sockhead ignored him, didn't even cast a glance, instead he walked towards the first row of benches. Kevin couldn't understand why… what had he done now? Kevin rolled his eyes and was ready to go and talk to him but then the math teacher walked in and their class began.  
Kevin couldn't concentrate during the lesson. He just wondered what he had done wrong. Well he knew that he shouldn't had said everything he had told his team, but come on it was nonsense he had made up in panic. And Double D couldn't have heard it, he was never in the changing room if it wasn't PE. No Kevin had done something else, but what?  
"And that was everything for today, don't forget your homework…", Their teacher said and began to fiddle with paper on her desk.  
Double D was the first person to rise and so did Kevin, he needed to talk to the boy. It was a race towards the door. They both walked out and Kevin hurried to reach the Sockhead before he could disappear again.  
"Hey Double D, will you help with the stupid math…", Kevin began but Edd kept on walking.  
"Kevin, consider to do it during detention", Edd said, no, snarled at him. "Please I have no time…"  
"Double D… what's…", Kevin started but Edd interrupted him again.  
"Oh shut up", Double D turned around and yeah Dweeb really looked angry, he had his books in a tight grip and if you could shoot death lasers with your eyes, Kevin would dropp dead on the floor. "I'm so exhausted of the game you play with me! I have pleaded to you thousands times to stop… but you ignore my requests and... Just forget it"  
Kevin eyebrows rose to the edge of his cap, what the hell did he talk about? The Sockhead turned around and began to walk away but Kevin grabbed his hat again. That made the dork drop his papers and book, the supplies scattered over the white floor with a silent, _woosh_. Yet again the dork held on to his hat like mad.  
"What the hell Sockhead!" Kevin yelled and dragged the dork toward nearest toilet, this wasn't something everyone needed to hear.  
As soon as they came in to the boys room Kevin loosened his grip and checked the stalls if they were occupied, they weren't, good. When he had confirmed that they were alone he let Edd's hat go and locked the bathroom door and leaned against it. No escape now… Double D needed to explain himself. The dork looked at Kevin, now a little scared and uneasy, were did his anger go?  
"Now, Double D, I want…"  
"Mary didn't let go of me when we collided in the corridor after our common period and… I thought I could occupy myself in the boys changing room"  
 _NOOO!_  
"And postpone time there until you were finished with practice… but"  
"Edd hey listen what I said..", Kevin flung out with his arms and walked towards Double D who just stood there with crossed arms and looked down on the floor.  
"No Kevin! Not this time…", Edd stuttered and took a step back from him.  
"I didn't mean it, they..."  
"Then why did you say it? No one forced you!", Edd yelled of the top of lungs and took a step further away from Kevin, like he was something filthy.  
"I'm so, so sorry, it's just… they needed to… Nat wanted to… he's scared I'll choose you before him and the team, just exactly how Eddy feels I guess" Kevin sighed and shoked his head. "Man, I'm sorry"  
"No I'm not excusing you and raise a white flag again… I'm just… to… infuriated, disappointed and dejected right now… Noo Kevin DON't… STOP!"  
But Kevin didn't stop himself, didn't want to. With as much power as he dared to use he pinned Double D to the wall and kissed him. This time it wasn't a shy or a gentle kiss like a whisperer. He forced Edd's lip to part and just accept what Kevin offered. He tasted fresh of mint and some sweet honeyish soap, it was like toxic to Kevin. He felt how Double D tried to move, tried to stop this but that was in vain. Kevin just held his neat body tighter in place and continued to give Edd passionate kisses. He wanted the Dweeb to give in… to understand that what Kevin had said didn't mean anything, it was actions that was Kevin's strong part.  
"Kevin… I can't… inhale" Edd whimpered and that made Kevin stop, even if he wanted to go further he had to leash himself, they were in school…  
"You Dork!" Kevin mumbled and finally let Double D go, but neither of them moved, Kevin just looked down at the red cheeked boy who tried to straighten his clothes. "Did you really think I don't care about you, that you are just some fun project in my spare time?"  
"Eddy is frightened, his conclusions is that you attempt to separate us … Ed is afraid too", Double D mumbled, he didn't met Kevin's eyes. "…I'm just terrified that they are right about you Kevin…"  
"Well they are wrong, I know I have been a total asshole, even after Eddy's brother…"  
Eddy's damn big brother… who lived in a wale wagon and was a total prick towards his younger brother. In some ways, Kevin could understand Eddy's behavior. But just because someone was a douche towards you didn't mean that you could be a douche towards other people…  
 _Oh Kevin you are such a hypocrite_ …  
"But I try to behave now, for your sake… but what I said in the changing room is what everyone thinks, you deserve better friends… but that doesn't mean I'm right, but you knew that! I have never tried to be persuasive, be with your friends if you want to", Kevin sighed and forced Double D to look up at him. "That's an excuse, are you really that insecure? That you're just a game to me?"  
"It's just… I can't accept the fact that Peach Creeks most popular male student want's… me", Double D murmured and pushed him away and this time Kevin let him do that and took a step backward. "I mean, I'm a messed up ant collecting, nerd with severe OCD… it must be a hoax I'm just waiting for my dread to become reality!"  
"Well it won't and deep down you know it! Why do you keep wiggling your way out of this when I'm trying to make things work?!", Kevin flung out with his arms again with a big sigh.  
"Because I don't want to complicate your life!" Edd screamed and now he looked at Kevin with flustered cheeks, he had never seen so much frustration in this body before. "Don't you understand? If you… everything you have in this school will decay if we… as friends, yes, but nothing else, even if I do longing for it sometimes but that won't work, status quo"  
Kevin just stood there baffled with open mouth and his cap slightly askew. Did Sockhead really mean everything he just said? That he practically friend zoned Kevin for his own good? Wow… just wow and here Kevin had wondered why Double D didn't want him. Because he was too popular and everyone would questioning everything if they officially came out as gay and a couple. Even if half the school talked about it already.  
"I don't care…", Kevin said in a small voice.  
"But I do…", Double D whispered and before Kevin could grab him again the boy unlocked and ran out from the bath room.  
THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN!  
Kevin roared and punched the wall before he kicked a trashcan. He was done, he couldn't do anymore to convince Double D. He never thought he would get so utterly friend zoned by that dork. He threw his cap on the floor and stamped on it, took fistful of his hair and pulled. A scream got stuck in his throat and after a while he just crouched down and leaned against the cold glossy tile. He looked down and saw small strains of red hair around his fingers. He tried to keep his cool and not cry or quiver. Everything had been so good the past weeks and why was it so easily ruined again…  
Nathan found him in same position during next period. The teal haired boy just eyed him for one second before he bent down and sat next to Kevin. They just sat there for a while… waited for something to happen. When Kevin didn't speak Nat reached out and grabbed Kevins cap, he hadn't bothered to pic it up. Nat studied the red thing before he handed it to Kevin.  
"I have messed things up…", Kevin mumbled and tighten his grip of the cap. "Nat, I love…"  
"I know, or I figured", Nat sighed and punched Kevin in the shoulder. "You think I would despise you and your sexuality? I don't… I just wonder… have you ever had a crush on me?"  
"Oh dude come on that's disgusting!", Kevin wrinkled his nose. "Why would I even…"  
Nathan began to laugh, and soon Kevin laughed to. "Come on, you can take whatever girl you want in this school but you can't get Double Dork?"  
"He kind of rejected me…", Kevin sighed and shook his head. "I don't know man…"  
"First, wipe that long face, you're not a horse! And second… stand up", Nat rose and kicked Kevin in the butt so he would do the same. "We have a dork to catch…"


	13. Chapter 13

"Hey Double D what's up?"  
Eddward rushed towards his two companions in a haste. Confusion, annoyance, sadness, happiness, every named feeling circulated within his body. Kevin, he was an equation without answer, a chemical element you hadn't named on the periodical system, or you would never be able to name him because you would never know if he was an alcohol, halogen or nobel gas. Eddward sucked in his lip when Eddy gave him a concerned look and patted his shoulder.  
"Is it Kevin again?", Eddy said in a sighed. "I swear if he do something again I'll…"  
Just by mention the name, Eddward busted like an balloon.  
"I can't take it anymore, all this emotions driving me crazy!", Edd began and flung out with his arms and he didn't even bother eavesdropping students. "I'm in love with Kevin!"  
Right when he had loudly proclaimed that irrational fact a hand covered his mount. Eddy quieted him and together with Ed the trio ignored lunch and went outside. It was peaceful outside, no bluster and the trees were covered in glittery snow. The air was biting cold and Eddward remember his and Kevin's trip to that beautiful outpost. Their bodies amalgamated into one. He gently trailed his lips, Kevin's desperate kisses had made them a little swollen. Why had Edd reluctantly liked it? He sniffled and pressed his legs tighter to his stomach there he sat on the stairs into school. Why couldn't Kevin leave him alone? He sighed and analyzed his friend's expression.  
"So you like Kevin, say something we don't know?", Eddy sighed and blew hot air into his cupped hands, as usual he hadn't bother about gloves.  
"Y-you knew?", Edd stuttered, he felt bewildered, ashamed.  
"We have just wait for you to tell us", Ed said and sat down next to his friend. "It's okay we won't judge you, a lot of my conventions friends are homo, bi or even gender fluid"  
Eddward felt his shy smile prickling in the corner of his mouth when he looked at his goofy friend. Sometimes Edd wondered if Ed misled them all and was much brighter and understood many of their conversations he pretended to ignore, appearances could be deceptive.  
"Thanks, Ed", Eddward smiled.  
"We don't care about your sexuality", Eddy yearned and massaged his tear ducts. "But you know Kevin just plays with you?"  
And Edd could travel back to many conversations identical to this one. He knew every line and the finale would be a heated Eddy and an even more confounded Eddward. No, he had no energy to deliberate this topic again.  
"He… he kissed me", Eddward mumbled and began to fiddle with a down that peaked out from a seam from his duvet.  
"He did what?!", Eddy yelled. "When… how…"  
"A classroom a couple of weeks ago, now in the bathroom", Edd wrinkled his forehead and sighed.  
"And why have you not tell us?", Eddy screamed and slapped Edd in the back of his head. "Don't you trust us?!"  
"It's not a matter of trust issues", Edd continued and straighten his hat. "It's a matter of a confusion inside of me… and the subject of kisses and… well yeah… have never"  
"Oh yes we have, we have talked, a lot about sex… or I have", Eddy sighed. "You're just horny and Kevin is hot… take your stupid sock to hat and…"  
"Don't simplify this Eddy!", Eddward stood up with red cheeks and looked down at his short friend,. "It's NOT about lust or something about the matter of sex, I simply … LOVE Kevin!"  
"HE using you dude how many times do I need to say it to you Einstein? Have you dissect your own brain or what?", Eddy barked again and knocked Edd on the forehead. "Kevin just want to split us up and ruin things, like everything else he have done in our life"  
"Your life Eddy", Edd sighed and laid a hand on his friend upper arm. "I would never let him break our trio apart, but would you? Because making me choose will not help you in this matter"  
Eddy bit his lip and turned away from them. Eddward and Ed exchanged looks. They understood Eddy grudge against Kevin completely, even if it was childish. Kevin was everything Eddy desired to be. And Kevin hadn't been nice to him throughout the years of junior high. He had made every teen on the cul-de-sac to ignore him, he had took Nazz away from him, in matter of fact everything. It was a natural feeling to be gloomy and annoyed by that factor.  
"Okay go and be with him then, but don't come to me when he dumps you!", Eddy screamed to overpower the fact that his vocal cords was unsteady.  
"Come on Eddy don't be like this", Edd sighed and sucked in his lower lip. "I- I can't choose, not now…"  
As always Eddy had turned their conversation toward himself. Edd had so much to say about his own troubles, he needed guidance from his friends about Kevin. But he would never be able to questioning them, Eddy got to invidious and envious. Eddy sighed and spun around and looked at them again, he had tears in his eyes.  
"Well, okay then, but if he interferes in our scams…", Eddy began but stopped midsentence when Edd embraced him.  
"I would never let him", Eddward said in a smile  
"YAAY group hug!", Ed screamed in a laugh and hugged his both friends and Edd felt his feet leave the concrete stair.  
One of Edd's knots in his abdominal loosened, and he laughed together with Ed, and soon Eddy laughed to. One problem solved, just thousands more to go. Soon the bell rang to their next period, evidence that life and time just moved forward. It was so much more to be said and so much more needed to be done. Ed released his friends from the sturdy hug.  
"I don't want to communicate with Kevin… even if…", Edd began but Eddy interrupted him.  
"Are you sure about this?", Eddy said with a raised eyebrow.  
"Negative", Edd sighed. "It's complex…"  
"Well duh, I figured! But what do you wanna do and what can I… we do?", Eddy said and crossed his arms. "Just tell me"  
"Can we have this conversation after school?", Eddward said and looked at the school clock. "Our class begins in just five minutes…"  
"Sure", Eddy nodded and together they went inside again.  
Edd appreciated the warmth and tried to wipe his runny nose. They have had an excellent conversation and he hoped it would continue after school. More than ever he was exultant about his friends and disagreed on every argument the school had about that they wasn't good enough for him, they wasn't good friends, they were the finest. With that awareness he unzipped his jacket and hanged it in his locker. If only Eddy and Kevin could cope with one another. A dream that would never come true…  
"Hey Ed-head we have looked all over the place"  
Eddward observed that Nathan and Nazz walked towards Eddy. Curiousness restrained him from reach for his chemistry books. His short friend placed his hands in his pockets and just eyed the blonde and the teal with a grin, a grin Edd recognized as apprehensive.  
"What do you guys want?", Eddy said with a bothered voice.  
"To talk, Eddy", Nazz giggled, and to that smile, who could decline?  
The three teens talked in low voices and Edd could not perceive anything from their dialogue. With an impatient exhale Edd looked at the clock over one if the classrooms, they really needed to get going. He fiddled with his hat and seized his books.  
"You can go guys, we really need to talk", Nat said and looked at both Ed and Edd, his eyes stayed on Eddward to long to be comfortable, and what did he conceal under that smile?  
"Will you be okay Eddy?", Ed said and tilted his head.  
"Yeah yeah, go, I'll be fine", Eddy said and waived nonchalant with his hand.  
Edd observed the scene a couple more minutes before he headed towards the classroom. He really hoped Eddy would be alright. And Eddward had a slightest concern what they conversed about.  
"Hope it's nothing bad…" Ed said while walking together with his friend, their distance to Eddy expanded for every step they made.  
"I think not", Edd said and beamed.  
"I mean like, Alien abduction, maybe they have dressed up as Nazz and Nathan and now want to take Eddy to their mother ship and experiment on him?" Ed jabbered and Edd giggled and rolled his eyes about his friend seriousness of the topic.  
"Ed, I think al comics lastly liquefied your brain", Edd said and gave Eddy and the other two a last look before he went into class. And the only thing that occupied his mind was Kevin's kisses… and how much he wanted to kiss him back.

3


	14. Chapter 14

Nathan had told Kevin to let everything go and trust him to handle this… whatever _this_ was. Kevin didn't understand how this would end well, he had ruined everything. Double D would never talk to him again. Kevin glanced at the dork who sat with his friends during lunch. He just poked and steered the food around on his plate with a blank expression while his friends chattered and began a small food fight. As always it was their voices who drowned al other conversations in the cafeteria.  
Kevin sat down at a lonely table, he didn't even bother talking to someone. The food didn't even look good, greasy soggy fries and disgusting looking pizza with too much cheese. In a sigh Kevin began to do exactly like Double D, just poking at the food with a cringe. Soon he heard someone neigh right into his ear. The loud noise made him jump and when he looked back it was Nat who had a big smile on his face.  
"Oh sorry I just assumed… because of the long face that you were a horse", Nathan laughed and sat next to Kevin.  
Kevin bit his lip forced himself not to smile. "Well okey, so?"  
"So what?", Nathan kept on talking and began to eat.  
"You said you would talk to… well", Kevin glanced over toward the dorks table and looked at Double D again.  
"Yeah about that", Nathan said and used his sleeve as a napkin. "Nah, we'll see what happens, but how long is your detention?"  
"I'm grounded as well remember?!", Kevin sighed. "Why?"  
"Nah, nothing… oh hi Nazz!", Nathan smiled and nodded towards the hot blonde when she joined them.  
"Kevin, did you know we're going to the observatory tonight with our class?", Nazz proclaimed with a smile.  
Kevin just knew something was up. It was too obvious what they tried to do and Kevin couldn't stop himself from smiling. But he would play along with this. He eyed Nazz who took a mouthful of salad and just winked at him.  
"No, I didn't, stupid me", Kevin sighed.  
"Well, you have to tell your parents so you can go there", Nazz continued and giggled. "Right?"  
" I just have to go, even if I don't wanna its school after all, damn", Kevin shrugged and glanced towards Double D again.  
"That's the spirit!", Nat laughed and smacked Kevin on his back. "8 o'clock tonight, be there… and hey Kev", Nat went from witty to dead serious in a blink of an eye. "I'm sorry man, if I hadn't triggered you to say so dumb things in the changing room this had never happened"  
"Dude, don't sweat it", Kevin sighed. "Double D was right, none forced me to say it, but thanks"  
And that was it, Nat smiled and they would never mention this ever again. Kevin couldn't blame Nat now when he tried to help him. He had the best friends he could imagine. Al their support made him warm. But before they could say anything more about this Rolf, Sarah and Jimmy joined them and began to talk about Thanksgiving and Christmas break. Kevin began to eat, realized how hungry he was. He couldn't wait until this evening.

* * *

Eddward had tried to questioning Eddy about his conversation with Nazz and Nathan but that had been in vain. His friend changed subject or shrugged his shoulder and proclaimed it didn't concerned him. At lunch, Edd was positive Ed knew about it because his both friends had whispering dialogs without him when they stood in line to get their lunch.  
On top that, it was a hard time to see Kevin when he walked into the cafeteria and looked as bewildered as Edd felt and a gray cloud followed him towards a lonely table. It felt unwise to talk to the jock at the moment, Edd had made his point and at this moment nothing would be gained with another conversation.  
"Hey Sockhead we need to cheer you up, what about the observatory?", Eddy said after he had forced feed Ed with another spoon of ketchup.  
"Yeah! Maybe we can spot an asteroid and save the whole world!", Ed screamed with a great laugh.  
"I'm not certain the observatory would give me joyful feelings at the moment gentlemen", Edd sighed and pushed the tray of carbs away from himself.  
"Come on, hear this I'll pay", Eddy said and rolled his eyes. "Look at it as me, saying sorry for being an ass about Kevin, I messed with you as much as he have done, right?"  
Eddy pushed on a soft spot of Edd while saying that. He would never be able to decline a gesture of compassion and forgiveness. With a slight smile Edd nodded and began to fiddle with his hat. It could be interesting, at least fun to be around his friends and think of everything else except Kevin, and his kisses, his voice… body…  
"Double D your nose!", Eddy and Ed said in one voice.  
"Oh dear!", Eddward squealed and reached for a napkin when he tasted a hot, salty and metallic liquid on his lips. "My nasal mucous membranes are very dry this winter"  
"Yeah, right…", Eddy rolled his eyes with a witty smile. "Well tonight, 8 o'clock the observatory"  
"I'll be there", Edd said before he leaved the table to take better care of his nosebleed.  
He didn't observed his friends high five and big grins before he walked out from the cafeteria and went into a bathroom.

8 o'clock Eddward arrived to Peach Creeks observatory. It was a cold evening and the bus ride together with a miles walk in the snow had been refreshing. The stars shone bright and clear, an excellent weather to stargazing. Ed and Eddy would already be there according to their text messages and that strike Eddward as odd but he would not put too much thought in it.  
He eyed the great building with a smile a couple of minutes before he walked up towards the entrance door. Peach Creek was so blessed to have this center of science in their disposal and if Eddward could he would go to their lectures every weekend. But when he took of his jacket and looked around the entrance Kevin stood there at the information desk. Nervousness spread inside his body and he sucked in his lower lip automatically. They got eye contact, Edd flickered with his gaze and focused on the wall. His friends must have deceived him into this… oh dear!  
"Hi there Sockhead", Kevin laughed and walked up towards him.  
"Eddy and Ed… isn't here?", Edd said with cracked voice and felt one of Kevin's arm around his shoulders.  
"You bet! It's you and me!" Kevin laughed and lead him towards their planetarium.  
"Kev…", Eddward began, his legs could hardly bare his weight anymore.  
"Come on, it'll be fun"  
Eddward saw how Kevin handed money to another young man who gave them tickets and opened the door to the planetarium. The gigantic sphere where empty and their footsteps echoed when Kevin dragged him towards the center of the seats. He pushed Edd in front of him and pressed him down in the middle seat of the middle row. Kevin placed himself next to him and gave Edd one of his bright smiles. No, Eddward would not be tempted by this… he neatly placed his hand on his knees and looked down at his shoes. Could Kevin see his bright red cheeks?  
"How you doing?", Kevin asked and placed an arm around Eddward's shoulders again. "I know I was a total jerk and, everything was…"  
"A catastrophe?", Edd continued and tried not to smile, Kevin was so hard to not excuse.  
"Well, yeah…"  
The lamps dimmed and soft acoustic music began to play through the speakers, but nothing ordinary that Edd was used to hear during a planetarium show. He turned his head towards Kevin and gave him a puzzled look. The gingered boy's smile where different now, it was a sly smile that he usually gave Nazz, a smile Eddward adored and longed for sometimes. Kevin pulled him closer and pointed towards the top of the sphere. Edd looked up and there in the slowly turning galaxy with lilac and pink gas clouds the stars slowly formed words. Words Edd didn't grasped at al.

 _I love you, Sockhead_

"I know I'm an idiot and awful and I have given you a hard time for so long but please understand", Kevin leaned towards him and Eddward's heart forgot how to function. "I want you", he whispered softly.  
Just like that… Kevin erased everything on Eddward's equation board that was his brain. Everything complicated and hard to solve, gone with just a swipe and everything went withe and clean again. Eddward couldn't contain himself anymore, he folded his arms around Kevin's neck and gave him a passionate kiss.  
"I have longing to do that", Eddward whispered when their lips separated, their noses still touching. "But… you are sure… I mean…"  
"How can I convince you that I don't care, man?", Kevin laughed and kissed him again, each kiss with more vigor. "Do I have to scream it from the school roof? I would do it!"  
His mind got occupied with Kevin's touches and kisses, it was so much better than Eddward had imagined. He smelled like peppermint and citrusy axe that absorbed Eddward's concentration and it was addictive. Deeper Kisses, and eager exploring of Kevin's body…  
To soon the music stopped and the lamps brighten and more people began to enter the room. Eddward's gathered his thoughts and realized that he sat in Kevins lap, with the jocks hands under his shirt. Blushed Eddward's crawled back to his own seat and buried his face in his hands.  
"Oh dear", he whispered but couldn't stop smiling nor laughing.  
"We can continue afterwards?", Kevin said and gave Eddward that sly smile once more.  
"Would be delightful", Eddward placed Kevins hand in his own.  
They saw the planetarium show pressed to one another. Kevin's arm around Edd's shoulders, slowly playing with his black hair that peeked out from the hat. Edd didn't recall so much of the show itself… but he remember the night as one of the greatest during his young life.


	15. Chapter 15

Thanksgiving came and went and every waken minute Kevin and Edd spend with each other. They took long walks together. Kevin forced Double D to try his snowboard but he failed so tremendously so they both laughed so much and Kevin tumbled down in the snow and got as soaked as Double D who had fallen into a snow pile. That afternoon Kevin remembered as terrific, they had just curled up together with blankets and hot chocolate and had watched a bad Christmas movie. Edd had squealed when Kevin had placed his cold hands under his shirt and had given him a witty smile before he stole a kiss.  
They tried to keep their relationship a secret tough. Well it was useless to try to keep it from their closest friends but the other cul-de-sac teens didn't need to know. The days before Christmas break went by so fast Kevin didn't keep up and it wasn't before Jimmy pressed an invitation card right in his face he remembered about the yearly Christmas party at Jimmys house. Everyone was welcome and it was a good timing to exchange gifts if people wanted to.  
"Well, I have found an impeccable gift to you Kevin", Double D smiled and inspected the invitation while eating his lunch.  
"Ohh… really?", Kevin smiled and eyeballed Double D. "I hope you like your gift as well"  
Kevin was bad with gift giving but he was proud that he had found the perfect thing to his boyfriend. But it was always a risk it would be a fail. Double D placed the card between them and rolled his eyes.  
"Most certain", Double D laughed with a shy smile. "I would never be displeased with a gift from you Kevin"  
Kevin scoffed and he wanted so bad to hug that dork or kiss him. But they were at school and Double D had given him firm directives to not do anything during school days. But it was so tempting sometimes. He and Nazz could do whatever, holding hands, hug and kiss and no one bat an eye. Frustration rose in Kevin and he began to eat with hasty movements, he couldn't contain his own irritation.  
"Kevin what's troubling you?", Double D asked.  
"When will we come out publicly?", Kevin answered and rose an eyebrow.  
"Kevin you are surely aware why that action would be irresponsible", Edd scoffed and massaged his temples. "We have had this argument before…"  
"I KNOW! I just wondered", Kevin sneered and crossed his arms. "Forget it man…"  
"Ohh… Kev"  
"Hey there, I hope you two will come to boy Jimmy tomorrow, yes?"  
And Double D who was about to say something closed his mouth and just smiled when Rolf took the place beside Kevin. That feeling of irritation didn't leave Kevin during the whole day tough. He couldn't be mad at Double D, he understood and they had talked about it. But sometimes it was just so hard to stay away from him during the day and not be as physical as they used to be at home.

Jimmy had decorated in Christmas spirit deluxe. Blinking lights in every room, big sparkly snowflakes hung from the ceiling and the whole house smelled like gingerbread and Christmas tree, which was amazing decorated, it looked like something from a Disney movie. In the kitchen Jimmy showed them his yearly gingerbread town. It was incredible as always and this time he had made their Cul-de-sac with every teen made out of gingerbread.  
"I thought this will be our last Christmas together, because soon…", he stuttered, he could barely make it but swallowed his sorrow and took Saras hand. "People will leave for college!"  
And then the comfort party towards Jimmy began and everyone gathered around him to ease his sadness. Oh come on! Kevin rolled his eyes. Yeah they would split up but who cared? They would always stay in touch… but that reminded him of something. Kevin sighed and grabbed Double D who was about to join the circle of people. Before everyone would notice Kevin wanted to give Double D his gift. It was quite personal so he didn't want everyone to see, most because of Double D's restraints. They walked into the living room and Kevin pushed the dork into the sofa and gave him a light kiss. As always he smelled sugary, Kevin could eat him...  
"I'll give you your present", Kevin gave Double D his sexy smile and they both began laugh.  
Everyone had laid their presents under the Christmas tree and Kevin began to dig around the boxes. There it was, hastily wrapped with a red bow and golden swirls. Kevin grabbed it and handed it to Double D who gladly took it. He put the box on his lap and began to unwrap it with gently movements.  
"Oh my god Sockhead it's just paper", Kevin shook his head and sat beside Double D in the sofa and wrapped an arm around him.  
"Don't be hasty", Edd said and continued to open the box. "Oh dear Kevin…"  
Kevin saw the delight in his boyfriends eyes when he lifted up a photo of them in a black frame. Kevin felt a rushing heat towards his cheeks and he looked down at his own feet. It was so cheesy but he knew Double D liked cheesy… so…  
"Well we sure as hell look like dorks but I mean… I wanted you to have a memory and be reminded that you are the best thing that have happen and…", Kevin couldn't finish because of Edd's hug.  
"Thank you Kevin, I'm delighted, sweet of you", he said with a soft voice. "I'll cherish this with all my heart, and now, close your eyes and I'll bring you your gift"  
Kevin did as he was told and closed his eyes. He felt how Double D leaved the sofa and he heard some rustling with paper. Curiosity made Kevin peek but he couldn't see anything except Edd searching around the presents. Before the boy turned around Kevin closed his eyes again and felt something touching his knee, it was fairly light. It was orange colored packet and even if it was soft and squishy it was wrapped with care, perfect folded corners and everything… Kevin smiled and began to open. A soft red knitted hat together with a matching scarf and gloves appeared.  
"Have you made these?" Kevin gasped and just looked at them.  
"Well you never dress according to weather, I thought you might need some help" Edd giggled and placed the hat on Kevins head. "And then I can always make you warm…"  
"Oh come here!"  
Kevin couldn't stop himself he pulled his boyfriend into a kiss and thankfully Edd accepted and answered his kiss. The knitted scarf and gloves fell down onto the floor and the both boys curled up together in the sofa and continued to exchange kisses with "Fairytale of New York" playing in the background. This was so perfect, Kevin wished every Christmas could be like this, forever… and maybe his wish could come true.  
"Oh my god, get a room!" yelled a high pitched and raspy voice.  
The both boys jolted and they turned their heads towards the kitchen entrance. There stood Sarah with crossed arms and big eyes. Behind her they could see the other teens curious eyes look at them. Kevin blushed and took of the knitted hat and bit his lip. He and Double D exchanged looks and his boyfriend smiled shyly, _well… just tell them_.  
"Well, have some problem with this you better get used to it!", Kevin snorted and pulled Edd closer to him. "We're dating"  
"Well duh we figured that out like… weeks ago?" Sarah sighed and rolled her eyes,  
"Do you guys want a mistletoe?" Jimmy laughed and sat down at the Christmas three and began to sorting through the pile of gifts. . "Come on, let's open the other presents, KevEdd started without us so just keep the spirit up"  
"What did you just say?", Kevin asked and wrinkled his nose. "Did you just gave us a shipping name?"  
"Of course!", Jimmy said and smiled at them. "Everyone here have called you that…"  
Kevin and Edd just glanced at each other and smiled, well they hadn't been as good at hiding their relationship as they had wanted to, but whatever… did it really matter? No. Right now Kevin didn't care about anything like that… and he would never do that, never again.  
"Make room will ya?"  
Kevin and Double D moved even closer each other and made room for Eddy and Ed in the sofa. Kevin took Double D's hand and they intertwined fingers, he smiled and it felt so great to behave like a couple around their friends. It took a while to everyone to settle down and find a place to sit around the tree. People sat on the carpet, they dragged armchairs across the room but they had a neat circle after few minutes and the gift exchanging began. The teens laughed, talked and had a cozy and awesome last Christmas together that would be remembered. Kevin would treasure this Christmas forever, it was a beginning and an ending of a chapter. An ending chapter for teen angst and stupid misunderstandings, a beginning of a more joyful chapter, that about love, trust and new exciting things that would happen after school… whatever happened he knew he would have his boyfriend, Edd, Double D, Double Dork, Dweeb, his brilliant dork at his side and that made everything less fearful. They would concur the world, he just knew it, and nothing could ever stop them, never.

* * *

 **Well and now this fanfic is ended.**  
 **But I'll do a independent sequel and it's called "Rebound with Sockhead".  
Thank you everyone who had read this and I hope you'll read my other story.  
Please leave a rewiev about this story and tell me what you think!  
Thanks! /Cor**


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